Cup football action is always unpredictable but when the wind is the biggest factor then the surprise element goes off the chart. That was the case in the two Digicel Cup semi-final first leg matches last weekend at the TE McField Annex.
Elite beat Scholars International 2-1 and Bodden Town defeated Roma United by the same score in the later game. The second leg of semis will be on 5 February, again the TE McField Annex. Roma face Bodden Town at 5pm and Elite face Scholars International at 7pm.
Greg Ebanks, technical director of Elite, said: “I was happy with the win but thought most teams could have played much better and more entertaining football. The wind was a big contributing factor. I think the management and players themselves pressured themselves to utilise the wind and that probably took away from the game because both teams usually pass the ball around well.
“I think the second round, taking those things into account, hopefully we’ll be able to give the fans a better account of ourselves. Scholars complained about some referee decisions but when I look at about five challenges on Rene Carter they gave him, he didn’t get what he deserved. Some of their players could have been penalised as well. Time after time, people went in against him with two feet.”
Coach Elbert McLean, Bodden Town’s technical director, said: “The key factor that turned around the game was the subs we put on at the end. Actually, the first goal came from a sub that went on, Thomas Bush who won a penalty. We’re looking forward to the second leg, will train hard and like Manchester United we don’t give up till the final whistle.”
Roma’s head coach Stephen Petgrave was disappointed after being ahead for so long. He said: “I think we lapsed in the last ten minutes and stopped playing the ball forward and played it across field too much but the wind was against them.
“We’ll just have to go back to the drawing board for the second leg and regroup, correct some mistakes we made and come out stronger. I introduced some new players for this game and it was just misadventure why we didn’t get a second goal.”
It is back to Premier League action on Monday, Heroes Day. At the Ed Bush stadium in West Bay, bottom club Future face ever improving Bodden Town in the early game, starting at 5pm. Cayman Athletic battle with table toppers Elite in the 7pm match.
At the TE McField Annex Scholars International are just one point behind Elite and want to maintain that pressure in the early game when they face Tigers who are having a patchy season but as their name suggests are always tenacious to the final whistle. In the 7pm match George Town take on Roma United who are having another up and down season but never fail to entertain.
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