Skipper Christopher Rowe (left) of the Savanna-la-Mar Rasta team proudly accepts the winning trophy from Deputy Superintendent Dermot Lawrence after the Rastas defeated the police team. Looking on is Sergeant Nadine Grant-Brown (second right).WESTERN BUREAU:
WILD CELEBRATIONS erupted in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Thursday afternoon as the town's Rasta team, dubbed 'Jah Army', scored an emphatic 7-0 against the parish's police team in their exhibition Police Courtesy Week football game, which was played at the Godfrey Stewart High School.
Against frequent chants of Rasta Run The World, the punch line from Spragga's Benzs' song of the same name, the Rastas rattled the lawmen with their slick ball movement to open up a commanding 6-0 half time lead. Skipper Christopher Rowe, with a classy hat trick, Miguel Spence, Tadius Lorne, Lester Spence and Jermaine Pringle.
"We must congratulate you on your fine performance here today," Deputy Superintendent Dermot Lawrence told Rowe, prior to presenting him with the winners' trophy. "We hope that this hand of friendship that was extended here today will lead to other areas of co-operation between yourself and the police."
THE ATTACK
After a brief opening ceremony in which Sergeant Nadine Grant-Brown and Deputy Superintendent Lawrence met both team, the Rastas immediately went on the attack, threatening the police team's goal. They were rewarded in the 12th minute when Rowe crossed perfectly to Spence (Miguel), who slotted passed the diving goalkeeper.
In the 20th minute, the Rastas doubled their lead when Tadius Lorrne dribbled nonchalantly through the police's defence and with the goalkeeper at his mercy, he cracked a powerful grounder into the goal, making the score 2-0 and opening up the floodgates.
THE 'ROWE SHOW'
The 'Rowe Show' started in the 24th minute when the skilful skipper made it 3-0, capitalising on a defensive error and booting home. He went on to added further goals in the 27th and 33rd minutes, leaving the police team in tatters and seemingly poised for a double figure drubbing.
On the stroke of half-time, and overlapping Spence (Lester) sped passed two defenders and rolled the ball into the goal as more shouts of Rasta Run The World greeted the half-time whistle with the score at 6-0. As the dejected police team walked off the field, the fans joking called out that they should send for reinforcement.
In the second half, the reinforced police team looked much better as Peter Johnson was denied twice by brilliant goalkeeping and once when his close range header grazed the cross bar. However, as fate would have had it, the lone goal of the half was score by the Rastas.
Pringle, whose locks looked no more than a week old, twisted and turned three defenders into submission before cracking a savage shot passed the helpless goalkeeper, making the final score 7-0 and sending the small but vocal crowd of predominantly civilians into wild cheers.
A.F.
