South win first John Alleyne Classic

THE SOUTH XI needed kicks from the penalty spot yesterday to defeat their North counterparts 9-8 in the inaugural John Alleyne Memorial Football Classic, at Skinner Park, San Fernando. After North’s Lyndon Bartholomew failed to score his team’s ninth attempt from the penalty spot, Anthony Forgenie of Club Sando shot home past North’s goalkeeper Kevin Graham of Joe Public to give the Southerners the victory in a nail-biting affair. The  teams battled to an entertaining 4-4 draw at the end of full time, with national Under-23 striker Jason Marcano (W Connection) putting the Southerners in front after 21 minutes before Trinidad and Tobago forward Jerren Nixon (North East Stars) equalised in the 34th. South went two goals up courtesy a 44th minute goal from Starworld Strikers’ Andre Charles and a 51st minute strike from Dwayne Jack of  Tobago United.

But the momentum swung back in favour of North, who overturned the deficit from 3-1 to 4-3 in the space of six minutes. Conrad Smith of Caledonia AIA got North’s second goal in the 57th, Anthony Wolfe tied up the scores in the 59th. Wolfe got his second in the 63rd minute to restore the North lead before Marcano found the back of the net four minutes later. Scoring for South in the penalty shootout were Larry McDonald (SWIF), Reynold Carrington (W Connection), Errol Charles (Starworld), Kerron Phillips and Kyle Cupid (W Connection), Kevon Clement (SWIF), Kevin Hernandez and Dexter Franklyn (Police) and Forgenie. Before Bartholomew’s miss Devon Caseman (Joe Public), Kevin Jeffrey (N/E Stars), Sterling O’Brien (J/Public), Wolfe, Graham, Smith, Derek King (J/Public) and Randy Ramcharan (Caledonia AIA) all converted their kicks from the spot.