After Round 12 of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League Tier 1, the league table has a new leader, capped by one of the most dramatic comeback victories the competition has seen this season. Fresh off international call-up duties, forward Garvin Reggie delivered a stunning late double to lift Dennery past defending champions La Clery and into the top spot, following a full weekend of fixtures hosted at Soufriere Stadium.
The headline match between Dennery and La Clery unfolded as a rollercoaster seven-goal thriller, with Dennery rallying from a two-goal deficit to secure a narrow 4-3 win on Sunday night. Defending champions La Clery got off to a strong start, opening their account in the 8th minute through striker Yanic Noel, who extended their advantage to two goals just past the hour mark when Baggio Edward found the back of the net in the 52nd minute.
Dennery’s turning point came in the second half, thanks to impactful substitutions that shifted the momentum of the game. Denilson Jones, brought off the bench, cut the deficit in the 73rd minute, just three minutes before Shaquelle William struck to level the scoreline at 2-2. Reggie, whose blistering pace proved too much for La Clery’s fatigued defense, then took control of the match, netting back-to-back goals in the 78th and 83rd minutes to flip the scoreline in Dennery’s favor. While Sebastien Ribot pulled one back for La Clery just two minutes after Reggie’s second strike, the newly minted league leaders held firm over the closing minutes to claim all three points. Reggie’s late brace also pushed him into a tie for the league’s golden boot, drawing level with Yanic Noel at eight goals apiece atop the scoring charts.
Dennery’s climb to the top of the table was aided by a slip-up from the previous leaders, Vieux Fort South, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Mabouya Valley in the opening fixture of Sunday’s matchday. Mabouya Valley got on the scoreboard first in the 38th minute, with early substitute Maius Stanislaus – who entered the match just 19 minutes in – finding the net. Vieux Fort South responded 19 minutes after halftime, with Hosea Mathurin securing a share of the points with an equalizer. Following the result, Dennery and Vieux Fort South are level on 22 points after 10 matches, with six wins and four draws apiece, and both hold an identical +9 goal difference. The tiebreaker of total goals scored pushed Dennery to the summit: they have netted 25 goals this season, compared to Vieux Fort South’s 21.
Third-placed Canaries kept the pressure on the top two with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Vieux Fort North, moving them to 21 points, just one point behind the leading pair. Canaries got off to a flying start, opening a two-goal advantage within the opening 12 minutes: Alex Longville broke the deadlock in the 10th minute, and Robert Regis doubled their lead just two minutes later. Riquelme Elva got Vieux Fort South on the board before halftime, finding the net in the 44th minute.
The match was marred by chaos in the 55th minute, when a confrontation between players led to four dismissals in a single sequence. Canaries’ Kingsley Henry was sent off after picking up a second yellow card, while Canaries substitute Kevin Joseph and Vieux Fort North pair Steve Darcheville and Akim Augustin all received straight red cards for violent conduct.
The 12th round of fixtures kicked off on Saturday with a 1-1 draw between Gros Islet and Central Castries. Central Castries took the lead in the 49th minute through Messiah Pinel, but substitute Curtisho Stephen rescued a point for Gros Islet with a late equalizer in the 86th minute.
The first fixture of Round 12 was held on Friday evening, where Soufriere claimed a 2-0 shutout win over Anse La Raye, with two goals coming in the final minutes of the match. Lester Joseph broke the deadlock in the 84th minute, and Darrel Francis doubled the lead three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second half. The match also saw Anse La Raye head coach Sommers Augustin ejected from the touchline in the 87th minute: he received a caution for dissent in the 86th minute, followed by a second card to exit the game. The three points lifted Soufriere into fourth place in the table on 18 points, leapfrogging La Clery on goal difference.