On Sunday, April 19, at Marchand Grounds, Gros Islet etched its name into local football history by securing the championship title of the Saint Lucia Football Association’s Northern Zone Under-20 Men’s District Tournament, delivering a commanding 2-0 defeat to final opponent La Clery.
The winning side found its breakthrough early in the first half, when forward Rickelme Lionel slotted home his 11th goal of the entire tournament in the 15th minute, a finish that capped off a tenacious attacking build-up from winger Shevon Byron. The score stayed 1-0 through halftime, and La Clery thought they had pulled level late in the second half, only for the assistant referee to rule the effort out for an offside infringement, robbing them of the equalizer. Gros Islet put the result beyond all doubt in the dying moments of regulation, when Dervaj Edward hammered home a spectacular long-range strike in the 89th minute to seal the clean sheet victory.
Following the final whistle, Gros Islet’s assistant coach Darren Gaspard praised his squad’s relentless effort and commitment throughout the competition. “I must give kudos to the guys,” he said. “They came in there with the heart and the desire to fight for this victory. They have been putting in the work in training week in week out.”
Gros Islet’s dominant run to the title was reflected in their overall tournament statistics: the side netted an impressive 31 goals across all matches while conceding only four times total. Their only defeat of the campaign came in the preliminary round, a narrow 2-1 loss to the same La Clery side they beat in the final. For La Clery, the final defeat marked their first loss of this year’s tournament, after winning four consecutive group stage matches and advancing through the semi-finals undefeated.
Reflecting on the earlier loss to La Clery, Gaspard noted the gap in lineup and preparation between that preliminary match and the final showdown. “The first encounter with La Clery, it was just a lack of concentration, where we conceded two goals within three minutes,” he recalled. “So we knew that coming to the finals would have been a different kettle of fish. We had a few of our key players out with the national team [for the preliminary match]. So we know with all those four players coming in, it will not be easy coming up against us on this ground.”
Gaspard also highlighted how the match venue at Marchand Grounds played into his side’s strategic strengths. “Also, this ground suits our style of play. It’s a bit wider compared to Grande Riviere… So we know that we had more width, and this suited our playing style. We attack from the wide areas. Our game plan was to dominate the midfield and keep them under constant pressure, a high-intensity game, quick pressing.”
In the tournament’s third-place playoff, Babonneau pulled off a impressive comeback after a lopsided 10-0 semi-final defeat, edging out host side Marchand in a penalty shootout to claim the third position in the tournament standings.