Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:
Wadadah FC cleared the first major hurdle in their quest to return to the ranks of National Premier League (NPL) football last Saturday afternoon at Jarrett Park. They held Negril FC to a 0-0 draw in the second-leg final of the 2007-08 Captain's Bakery Western Super Cup to win the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
While the $150,000 prize money and the coveted Captain's Bakery Trophy held sway after the game, the biggest prize of all was the fact that Wadadah have earned quali-fication for the upcoming 2008-2009 NPL Elimination Tournament, which is the gateway the big league.
"Our aim at the start of the season was to gain qualification for the NPL Elimination and we have done that," said Delroy Delisser, coach of the Wadadah team.
While Saturday's 0-0 draw benefited Wadadah, they could easily have been disappointed had the Negril team, which had the better of the game, not squandered many chances.
Difficult angle
"I guess it was not to be for us today," said Negril's striker Howard Phillips. "We gave it everything we had, but we just did not get the goals that would have swung the game in our favour."
Inside the second minute of the game, Negril should have taken the lead when Phillips got behind the Wadadah defence but, from a difficult angle, he sliced the ball just wide of the far post with goalkeeper Tristan Bernard caught out of position.
With the Wadadah defence under constant pressure, it was almost like one-way traffic before their goal, as Negril attacked relentlessly. How-ever, more missed chances, especially from Sheldon Anderson, kept them off the scoresheet.
Negril started the second half much like the first, creating numerous openings but failing to hit the target. Two of the easier chances went to Phillips, who faced goalkeeper Bernard but fired one shot straight at him and cleared the crossbar with the other.
"Part of our plan coming into this game was to protect our first-leg, 1-0 lead," said coach Delisser. "In the end, it was that goal that made the difference."
