By BVIFA
Yasmin Ruffell-Smith scored the only goal of the game as the Ballstarz beat the U15 Girls 1-0. Photo: BVIFA
Action in the Marlon Penn Women’s Nine a Side League, played at Greenlands in East End, Tortola, this past Sunday, November 16th, 2014, saw the Ballstarz hold off a concerted and tenacious challenge from the U15 Girls team to record a narrow 1-0 win and the Avengers salvage another draw, 1-1, having conceded the opening goal of the game to the Panthers.
That it took the more experienced Ballstarz well into the last 10 minutes of the game to unlock the well organized U15 Girls defense was ample warning that the next generation is coming up behind the more established players and is in no mood to be held back by established seniors.
The final blow was delivered by Yasmin Ruffell Smith with a well placed header in the 42 minute (games are 25 minute halves).
Marie Lumley opened the scoring for the Panthers in the 17th minute after a sustained period of pressure, but then her team relaxed and allowed Makayda Fahie of the Avengers to equalize just 5 minutes later.
Panthers had a chance to steal all three points in the last few minutes of the game, but were unable to beat goalkeeper, Brittany Peters.
League Table Marlon Penn Women’s Nine-a-Side
| Team | PL | WI | DR | LO | PO | GS | GA | GB | |
| 1 | Ballstarz | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| 2 | U15 Girls | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| 3 | Avengers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | Panthers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 |
In Men’s action and in Group A, the Ballstarz maintained their 100% start to the new season with a 2-0 victory over the Panthers. Kevaughn Watson rounding out the scoring in the second half after Trevor Peters had scored in the 19th minute to make it 1-0 at the end of the first half.
League Table Marlon Penn Nine-a-Side Men’s League, Group A
| Team | PL | WI | DR | LO | PO | GS | GA | GB | |
| 1 | Ballstarz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| 2 | VG Utd | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | panthers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 4 | One Love | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
Meanwhile in Group B, The Wolues bounced back from their loss in game one to beat the Rebels 2-1, condemning them to a second successive defeat of the campaign. Alex Fecora opened the scoring for the Wolues in the 23rd minute, before Howard Johnson leveled in the 26th.
The Wolues scored the winner through Marc Savage in the 40th minute.
League Table Marlon Penn Nine-a-Side Men’s League, Group B
| Team | PL | WI | DR | LO | PO | GS | GA | GB | |
| 1 | Islanders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| 2 | Old Madrid | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| 3 | Wolues | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 4 | Rebels | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
The top team from each group will play in a Grand Final scheduled for January 2015, with the second placed teams competing for 3rd place.
