In the last match of the Cayman Islands Football Association men’s 2021-22 season, Scholars International Sports Club defeated Sunset Football Club 4-1 in the FA Cup finals, on Sunday night, 22 May, at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
Scholars, who won the CIFA men’s premier league earlier this month, were the favourites heading into the highly anticipated finals against Sunset.
However, the underdogs held their own during the first half, conceding only once, courtesy of Scholars’ top striker Kimani Finn, in the 21st minute.
“[Sunset] came with a game plan; it almost worked,” Scholars head coach Colin Rowe told the Cayman Compass after the match. “But we have more legs than them in terms of going forward, the skillful ability and the passing ability.”
In the second half, Jonah Ebanks found the back of the net in the 53rd minute, to make the score 2-0. Determined to keep up with the force that is Scholars, Sunset answered back four minutes later with a goal from Rolly Bodden.
“Our game plan was basically to stifle them and stay within the game,” Sunset head coach Gareth Thacker told the Compass. “It was a bit of a sloppy second goal [by Scholars], but then we scored to make it 2-1 and we’re in the game again. Our heads were high, and we had our energy levels back.”
However, Sunset’s momentum was derailed after a penalty was given in the 70th minute, which Ebanks capitalised on, putting his team two goals ahead.
“[It was] a contentious penalty decision and you can just hear from the crowd that nobody totally believed it,” Thacker said. “My lads didn’t believe he touched him, but at 3-1, it killed us. Fair play to Scholars, but at 2-1, it would’ve been a different game.”
Scholars’ Rodrick Pearson eventually scored the final goal of the game, to give his team its 4-1 victory.
Rowe credited his coaching staff for the men’s team’s success during the season, noting that their preparation contributed to winning both the league and the FA Cup.
“It’s about the coaching staff,” he said. “They did a tremendous job. It’s a team effort and it prevailed.”
While the men’s season has officially wrapped up, the women’s 2021-22 league is scheduled to end in mid-June.
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