Now things are starting to take shape in the Digicel Premier League.
Teams have begun making their move, as shown when the tournament continued with some extremely interesting results last Sunday at the National Stadium.
Mackeson Brittons Hill suffered their first defeat of the season going down 2-1 to the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP), Weymouth Wales kept alive their title hopes with a 2-0 win over Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame, and Direct TV Paradise continued their rise up the standings with a 4-0 blanking of Pharmaceutical Plus Cosmos.
Paradise romped to their second consecutive win in a space of four days and they did it with remorse against Cosmos.Â
Armando Lashley scored a first-half double in the 19th and 37th minute. He then turned provider in the 57th minute, playing a cross from the right for Freddy Mulligan to convert.
Lashley was also involved in the fourth goal, as his tantalising run was ended in the penalty area and a penalty awarded, which Lashley handed to his cousin Rakim Lashley, who easily scored from the spot in the 88th minute.
BDFSP kept pace with the leaders with another hard-fought victory. The BDFSP coaching staff made a number of personnel changes to their starting squad, which included veteran Albert Brathwaite in goal and the return of both Zico Phillips and Paul Alexander.
With a total of six defenders on the field it was clear what the BDFSP plan was and it also allowed their attacking players to be more fluent, carefree and creative.Â
Raheim Sargeant gave BDFSP the lead in the 29th minute, blasting home with authority from inside the area, after a ball across the area somehow missed everyone and fell into his path.
Brittons Hill quickly replied and it was due to an ill-timed challenge by Brathwaite, bringing down Curtis Odle inside the area. Zidkigah Samuels coolly stepped up and drilled his right-foot spot kick into the bottom right-hand corner.
BDFSP applied continuous pressure but Brittons Hill held firm and displayed just why they have been the best defensive team in the league.
Skipper Paul Straughn made a number of blocks and challenges to keep his team in the game.
However, BDFSP’s application of excessive pressure finally paid off as Shaquille Stewart scored the game winner in the 72nd minute to move the defending champions to just one point behind the leaders.
After the result in the 6 p.m. encounter, Wales knew a victory was needed and they got off to the right start. In the 3rd minute a harmless cross was parried by Dames substitute goalkeeper Carlisle Gill and Carl Joseph was on the doorstep to rocket his left-foot shot into the roof, notching his eighth goal of the 2014 season.
Wales dominated possession and caused some problems with their movement and positional changes, which forced Notre Dame to defend deeply and live dangerously at times.
Notre Dame finally broke Wales’ spell of attacks and engaged in a couple of their own that earned them a number of dangerous set pieces. One such set piece fell to defender Aaron Leacock but he could not direct his right-foot goal wards from a couple yards out.
Wales made them pay for their miss in the 30th minute. Kemar Headley shifted to the right to create some space for himself inside the area, pausing and shifting to the right, then shooting to the far post to beat two lounging defenders and Gill to make it 2-0.
