Kings and Harbour View were crowned champions of the 2015/2016 Bull Investment/Cable Pro Data Services-sponsored Golden League Football competitions following Sunday’s finals at the NWC playing field, Mona. Harbour View defeated Park Rovers 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after they played to a 0-0 full-and extra time draw to lift the Knockout trophy, while Kings won their first league title after two years in the competition when they clipped former champions Santos 1-0 in the league final.
The knockout final was an exciting affair, though goals proved difficult to come by. However, Harbour View were perfect from the spot as John Massey, Ian McNaughton, Corey Rowe and Errol Chin found the target from the half line, as Jerome Wilson and Paul Laidley missed their spot kicks for Park Rovers, with only Woodrow Coleman and Andrew Sinclair hitting the traget.
The league finals saw the undefeated Santos playing in their third-straight league final as they lost to Park Rovers in 2014 and 2015 by identical 1-0 margins. They went into Sunday’s game on an unbeaten 15-game streak and were expected to defeat Kings, who they clipped 1-0 in the their first match-up. This was not to be as the Kings team, led by former national player Nicholas Zaidie, Dane Peralto and John Hunter, dominated the middle of the park as the Santos defenders Trevor Campbell, Joseph Henry, Lance Livingston, Bryan Leon and Jeffery Dillon had a hard time containing them. Santos just could not get their passing game going and as soon as Clint Reid, Audley Boyd, Ian Burnett and John Mckoy received the ball, they were double-teamed by the Kings players, and this resulted in turnovers.
The victors got the winner in the 57th minute when Zaidie was left unmarked on the right flank and he received a pass from Robert Murray before shooting powerfully past an advancing Wayne Shaw in goal. This finally woke up the Santos players, but David Williams, John Hunter, Stephen Chen and Warren Wilson all got behind the ball and defended stoutly until the end.
Zaidie was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the competition, while Neville Wright of Dunns All Stars was the leading goalscorer of the season with 11 goals. Neville Lounds of Harbour View was the knockout MVP and his teammate Ian McNaughton, the leading goalscorer with three goals.
Simone Gentles of sponsors Bull Investment was presented with a plaque from President Carlton Galbraith for sponsoring the Golden League competition for five consecutive years.
