In a dramatic turn of events during Tuesday’s Barbados Football Association Premier League match at Wildey Technical Centre, Kickstart Rush narrowly preserved their unbeaten streak with a last-minute equalizer against underdogs Bagatelle FC.
The highly anticipated match began with Kickstart Rush positioned to extend their lead at the league summit, entering the contest alongside Paradise and Ellerton with 13 points each. However, the match took an unexpected turn just before halftime when Bagatelle’s Torian Joseph calmly converted a penalty kick following a handball infringement by Kickstart Rush.
Bagatelle maintained their surprising lead deep into the second half, demonstrating resilient defensive organization against the league leaders. Their disciplined performance was ultimately undone in the 84th minute when Nathan McCollin finished a lightning-fast counterattack down the left flank, leaving multiple Bagatelle defenders stranded and securing a crucial equalizer.
The match concluded in extraordinary circumstances as Bagatelle saw three players receive red cards during the frantic final ten minutes, severely hampering their ability to search for a winning goal.
Kickstart Rush head coach Renaldo Gilkes expressed mixed emotions about the result, characterizing it as ‘two points lost’ rather than one gained. Despite the disappointment, Gilkes acknowledged Bagatelle’s competitive performance and emphasized the importance of maintaining their unbeaten record. The coach now looks ahead to a challenging weekend fixture against Weymouth Wales, describing it as a critical test of his team’s capabilities and character.
In the evening’s secondary fixture, UWI Blackbirds delivered a commanding performance with goals from Jadon Macollin (5th minute) and Shabarri Lynch (56th minute) securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Eyre’s Meatshop Pride of Gall Hill.