On a tense Sunday afternoon at the Wildey Technical Centre, a moment of late magic secured another historic milestone for Barbados football. Armando Lashley, the top goal scorer in the history of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Premier League, slotted home the only goal of the match deep into extra time against Kickstart Rush, handing Weymouth Wales their fifth consecutive league championship.
The winning goal came from a late corner kick, with Lashley turning the opportunity into a clinical finish that sealed victory in the game’s dying seconds. This result extends Weymouth Wales’ incredible recent run, marking their fifth win from their last six outings. With just one round of regular season matches still left to play, the club now sits on an unassailable 40 points, ensuring no competitor can catch them at the top of the table.
The day’s action kicked off with a tight contest between 2023 runners-up Brittons Hill United and title contenders Paradise. A 57th-minute strike from Shaquille Boyce earned Brittons Hill a hard-fought 1-0 win, which pushed them up into second place in the standings on 35 points. Paradise, who led the title race for much of the 2024 campaign, dropped two places to fourth following the loss, finishing the penultimate round level on 33 points with third-placed Kickstart Rush. Kickstart Rush holds the higher position courtesy of a one-goal advantage in overall goal difference (38 to Paradise’s 37).
For Weymouth Wales, this championship is one of the most hard-earned titles in the club’s recent history. Based in Carrington Village, the side overcame significant obstacles this season, including a rash of injuries to key first-team players and the departure of national team captain Andre Applewaithe, who left to sign a professional contract overseas. Remarkably, even without Applewaithe and despite having no players ranked in the league’s top 10 goal scorers, Weymouth Wales still outperformed every challenger to claim the crown.
Now that they have secured the league title, Weymouth Wales will turn their attention to defending the two other major BFA trophies they currently hold: the Champions Cup and the Prime Minister’s Cup. The club will be targeting a clean sweep of domestic honours to cap off their historic season.
Speaking after his side’s win over Paradise, Brittons Hill coach Richard Forde reflected on what could have been for his own team’s title challenge. “As I said from the beginning we were really pushing for the title this season, but I think we really threw away our chances when we drew the games against Bagatelle and Gall Hill,” Forde explained. “I always look back and say those games would have given us an outside chance to win the title, but I still think the boys did well.”
Forde noted that his side’s late-season improvement came after he implemented strict changes to the team’s training regime, changes that were not popular at first. “They didn’t like it, a lot of people did not like it, but you know if we want to come and compete you have to come and train. You know sometimes we played well and then on some occasions we were awful in games. I believe if we can measure how we play and approach each game, then I think that we could go one step further,” he added.
The coach also praised match-winner Boyce, who seized his starting opportunity after limited game time throughout the season. “He’s been training all the time, and you know sometimes when you look at our front three it has been hard sometimes for him to get into the team. Tonight was his opportunity and he didn’t disappoint. I was happy with that,” Forde said.
Heading into the final round of matches, the race for the league’s Golden Boot award remains tightly contested. Kirtney Franklyn, a St Vincent and the Grenadines international with Brittons Hill United, currently leads the race with 18 goals. Ellerton captain Shakille Belle sits in second place on 15 goals, while Sheran Hoyte and Kamol Griffith of Paradise, plus Torian Joseph of Bagatelle, are all tied for third on 13 goals.