Barbados Today

Pro-Shottas have done the Under-15 double while Kick Start and KFC Pinelands Football academies took top honours in the Under-13 and Under-11 divisions respectively to end another successful 2016 Barbados Cup championship.

Fabian Massiah, coach of Pro-Shottas A Under-15 team told Barbados TODAY at the Banks Breweries ground today where all finals were contested that it was not the easiest of finals coming up against fellow team Pro-Shottas Elite who also have a group of talented players in their line-up.

“We had a good unit of guys who would have played at the Under-17 level in the Barbados tournament, so it was just a matter of playing in their rightful division and showing that they were even better. What I try to do is get the nucleus so I can maintain them and being St Leonard’s coach where most of these guys go to school, then it is only to add the other pieces to the puzzle,” the victorious coach said. Pro-Shottas A edged Pro-Shottas Elite 2-1 to lift the trophy.

The Under-13 final was much anticipated between KFC Pinelands and Kick Start, two equally matched teams, who took the game right down to extra-time and that did not make much of a difference because neither side found the nets which resulted in a penalty shoot-out. Clearly both sides had a good line-up of penalty shooters but eventually Kick Start emerged champions of the Under-13 division, 10-9 on penalty kicks.

Kick Start’s coach Barry Ward told Barbados TODAY what the win meant to him and his team after four years of kicking at the door. “We have been long overdue this title and the boys played really well and we are ecstatic. Pinelands played well and they gave us a good fight that took the game into penalty kicks,” Ward said. He added that where the finals were concerned, more officials were needed in order for games to be played in a fair manner. Third place in the Under-13 category went to Cosmos who defeated Parkinson 4-1, also via penalties.

Meanwhile, the Under-11 division trophy went to a skillful Pinelands team who dominated the showdown to outplay West Coast Academy 2-0. Third position went to Kick Start A when they got the better of Brittons Hill 2-1 in what was an exciting affair.