By Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
SALT SPRING FC kept their mid-season dreams alive last Thursday afternoon, when they rallied back from a first half 0-1 deficit to draw 1-1 with Seba United in their top-of-the-table Zone B clash in the 2004 Captain's Bakery-sponsored Western Confederation Super League fixture.
In the game, which was played at the Cornwall College grounds, Seba rushed into a 12th minute lead through former national player Norman Foster. However, Salt Spring stormed back to grab a share of the points through a superb 62nd minute strike by Anthony Brackett.
LOCKED
By virtue of them taking a point each from the game, Seba and Salt Spring are locked on eight points each and still in hot contention for a coveted slot in the competition's end-of-first-round final. The Paul 'Tegat' Davis coached Seba United, has a slight advantage based on their superior goal difference.
In what was an exciting contest, which was played in extremely good spirits, Seba had the better of the early exchanges and after coming close on at least two occasions, finally took the early lead. A superb looping cross by the overlapping Iton Scott found Foster deep inside the goal area and his header gave goalkeeper Deoreato Williams no chance,
making the score 1-0.
After coming back strongly towards the end of the first half and looking quite threatening, Salt Spring took command in the second half and were finally rewarded for their effort 17 minutes into the second half. The wily Brackett pounced on a loose ball and after twisting pass two defenders, he drove a low grounder past goalkeeper Alrick Henry,
making the final score 1-1.
CONSISTENCY
"We need to be more consistent out there, we are playing well but only in patches," said Davis, who guided Seba United to NPL success as a player and is now seeking to return them to that level of football as a coach. "We definitely need to do some extra work in terms of fitness and coordination."
The Western Super Cup, which is being contested by 10 teams from the parishes of Westmoreland, Trelawny, St. James and Hanover, is the first stage in a series of qualifying competitions to decide which two new teams will join the ranks of the NPL competition at the end of the 2004-2005 season.
In another game played on Thursday, the red-hot Mt. Salem continued to show good form,
scoring a hard-fought 2-1 win over Tomorrow's People in the Zone A game at the Herbert Morrison High School grounds.
The final set of matches in the first round of the Western Super league was played yesterday afternoon.
