Matchday Five Review

As we approach the quarter-way stage of the Caribbean Mega League the tables are starting to take shape and for each team doing as well or as poorly as expected, there are also a few surprise packages who are defying the odds in one way or another. The fact that only six points between top of the charts and the relegation zone shows that nobody will be counting their chickens just yet,

especially when there are still so many

huge games to come over the next few months.

One team who have performed very well of late have been Sophie Dibbens’ Spicy Doves and the Grenadian side are still likely to be in good spirits moving forward despite suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Edgar Davids Arena as Suriname Sharks continued to build on their own steady progress with a win that moves them into the top four for the first time. Although the game was far from a classic, it certainly had an explosive start as Ivanildo Misidjan nodded home a fourth minute corner. The centre-back’s stoppage time equaliser in the Dutch Derby last weekend meant that just five minutes of footballing action separated his two goals. No further goals would occur and as Gray’s side controlled play down the left channel with Jamilhio Rigters and Giovanni Waal, Big Nutz just couldn’t get going with their usually formidable front three- only managing five shots over ninety minutes.

It would prove to be a double-Dutch weekend as over in Aruba Ajax Oranjestad forged their second win of the season against a very unlucky Limbo Leopards outfit. The visitors certainly didn’t look like a team at the foot of the table and despite now being a whopping ten points off the pacesetters they will take a lot of heart from their positive display. Gross brothers Resef and Josh will inevitably take the headlines from the snatch-and-grab win as they both chipped in with a goal a piece either side of half-time. Although they played well, the visitors relied on a substitute to bring them back into the game, but Kyle Sylvester’s late header was only to be a consolation goal in a game that could have so easily ended with a higher scoreline had both sides’ sets of strikers remembered their shooting boots. Yet another defeat for the Leopards means they remain the only winless team in the division and they are going to have to keep the faith in Will Clark as he’s still working out his best tactics.

As expected over in Dominica, Jamrock Juniors piled on the misery of Wes Carter’s Doms and the only surprise was to see the dominant visitors only record a slim 1-0 win. Despite being the home-side, Dominica Dominoes didn’t register a shot on target on this outing, compared to Knapton’s side who stung the palms of Glenson Prince eight times as well as grabbing the crucial goal through old boy Newton Sterling. Far, far away in the hidden north, Bermuda Tempest took their chances in a 2-1 win against Vodou People thanks to a second Tomiko Goater stunner in two weeks, whilst Moko-Jumbies FC kept the pressure on Jamtastic at the top with a comfy 2-0 win against the seemingly inconsistent Republican Rabbits. At the Bajan Barracks we’d see the week’s only goalless affair, as Bajan Boppers held firm to deny the recently improved Redonda Rockys who are now three unbeaten despite only scoring two goals in five matches.

Next week will see a top-of-the-table clash between Jamrock Juniors and Moko-Jumbies, which will also be the first match between the Knapton brothers. Third place Republican Rabbits can make amends with a home win against Bajan Boppers, whilst Suriname Sharks go to Haiti to play Vodou People, Spicy Doves take on Ajax Oranjestad, the Limbo Leopards host Dominica Dominoes and Redonda Rockys look to leapfrog Bermuda Tempest and escape the bottom four.