To say that 2008 Women’s League football champions Real Dimension were but a shadow of themselves on Wednesday night at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, in a knockout match against Sangre Grande based Sweaters Touring, would be a huge understatement.
The once invincible side were beaten 2-1 by the first division third place finishers. In a Women’s League Football (WoLF) FA semifinal that in no way lived up to its hype, Sweaters’ most prolific scorer, Minty Cruickshank, blasted in two goals on the Premier Division club to give her team a well deserved berth in the final to be played on Tuesday at the MLS. They will meet Tobago FC who defeated Joe Public 1-0 in the other semifinal.
Dimension were punished for their sloppy play in as early as the seventh minute when Cruickshank scored her first. Avernelle Carabom then found an equaliser for Public in the 14th minute from a free kick just outside the box. But Cruickshank sealed the deal in the 85th from a free kick which did not find the back of the net on Khrishel Gabriel’s first try, but fell to Cruickshank who converted the goal. Dimension recently lost five of their foreign based players and were forced to field an arguably weaker team. However, team manager, Kenwyn Hoyte explained the situation could not be used as an excuse for the loss. “We didn’t get beaten because we lost players, but because they (the team) played the fool,” said Hoyte.
Hoyte however commended the young side, who made their debut in the league only this year on their performance. “You have to give credit to the young side for beating us. They played with heart.” In the other semifinal, Premier Division winner, Tobago FC enjoyed a last minute winner against second placed, Joe Public. The hard fought encounter could have been decided as early as the seventh minute, had Tobago made use of their chances, but numerous fine runs on goal by national senior team player, Candace Edwards, were wasted.
In addition to being able to find Public’s keeper, Nicolle Batancourt with every shot, Edwards also found herself without support. Her shot in the seventh minute went straight to the keeper, after some fancy footwork that got her past five defenders. She then had another burst from the midfield in the 13th minute that again went directly to Betancourt. Finally, after a string of failed attempts, Edwards made a breakthrough in the last minute of three minutes added on to save her side from a penalty shoot-out.
Results
Tobago FC 1 (Candace Edwards) vs Joe Public 0
Sweaters Touring 2 (Minty Cruickshank 2) vs Real Dimension 0
Fixtures
Big Four (August 21) Semifinal
Trincity Nationals vs Joe Public
Tobago FC vs Defence Force