Anna French kept her calm and coolly slotted home low into the corner from the penalty spot to net the winner for VG United WFC in a 2-1 win against the Avengers WFC, on Saturday, November 14.
The match, the latest in the BVI Football Association’s Women’s Futsal League, had everything the crowd could have wished for from a local derby between the two teams based in Virgin Gorda, including a neutral venue – Cedar School.
VG Utd were able to stem the free scoring Avengers, executing the plans put in place by their coach, Thomas Albert, to perfection. “I know how those Avengers like to play,” he said. “I know who their key players are and how to shut them down. So, I just urged my team to be patient and defend together until our time to attack came.”
It seemed that the Avengers had found a way around their opponents’ tactical discipline when Keithrece Smith opened the scoring in the 20th minute, but after half time VG were almost unstoppable with Kezia Gumbs, Jakisha Rigobert and French running rampant.
According to Avengers’ coach, Jeffrey Demming, it was a bad day at the office. “We took it lightly but those girls really came at us. In the second half they were all over us and have stepped up their games a lot. They came with a plan and it worked, but we will learn from this and come again.”
Gumbs levelled the game two minutes into the second half and French took her chance from the penalty spot, following a hand ball, with 15 minutes still remaining. Despite VG Utd dominating the game at just one goal to the good there was still time for the Avengers to get back into the game, but once they lost a player to a red card sending off in the 39th minute, there was no way back.
The Panthers WFC will play the Wolues WFC on Saturday, November 21 at 4.30pm, also at Cedar School.