By: The BVIFA
Debutant, Allan Williams impressed everyone with his work rate and skill. Photo: Charlie Jackson
In a crazy last fifteen minutes the BVI missed a golden opportunity to put the game against French Saint Martin to bed and then handed their opponents not only an equalizer, but also two further goals to gift them a 4-2 Friendly victory at the A.O. Shirley Ground on Saturday.
The first half had ended at 1-1 after a defensive slip let in Laurent Samer, who rounded Vesquever Frett and slotted home to open the scoring for French Saint Martin. Rashedo Robinson then equalized with a low drive from 22 yards, following a long throw from the BVI Captain, Troy Caesar, that was only half cleared by the defenders and which beat the scrambling dive of the ‘keeper to nestle inside the left hand post.
Ten minutes into the second half the BVI were ahead through the persistence of Kevin Fisher as he first controlled the ball off his chest and then fired home from an acute angle, beating the keeper at the near post.
The Hosts then had a great chance to make it 3-1 after good work down the right from debutant Allan Williams, whose deep cross to the far post looked for all the world to have found Devon Letteen unmarked. However he failed to get the vital touch on the ball from inside the six yard box and the chance went begging.
Two minutes later French Saint Martin leveled the game at 2-2 with Samer climbing highest in the box to meet a corner from the right and power a net bulging header past the helpless Frett.
Philmont Louis then rubbed salt into the wounds as he beat Frett to a through ball, took a touch and slipped the ball into the opposite corner, to set off wild celebrations from Saint Martin, who were now sensing a famous win.
Williams almost restored parity as time began to run out with a flying header from another Caesar long throw, but he narrowly missed the target and then deep into stoppage time Danilo Cocks put the icing on the visitors cake to make the final score 4-2.
Although a game with no points or ranking at stake, according to futebol24.com, it was the first match of any competitive kind for the Frenchmen since 2012 and the first time they had a win since gaining a draw against the Cayman’s in 2010.
For the BVI, even though the game was a friendly, it represented a disappointing turn around after looking good for the first win in six games ahead of the 40th Anniversary International Friendly game against St Vincent and the Grenadines on September 21st.
Acting Head Coach, Jeffrey Demming, bemoaned his players lack of availability for practice “It needs time, we have to train, but the guys don’t seem to realize how important it is to make the effort to come train so we can improve as a team. Overall I’m happy with the performance, but it could have been much better if they had come training!”
Coach Demming also praised the efforts of young Williams on debut “He has come up through the Youth programme and has shown himself as a hard worker. I was very impressed with his performance”
A few more players like Williams are waiting on the side lines for their chance to shine and as products of the new focus on Youth Development; they might just get the opportunity to impress ahead of the St Vincent game.
