RBNYFL 24: Simmons hit Plaisance Park for six, as Dunstan Williams Academy star on opening weekend

Striker Josiah Simmons literally hit Plaisance Park Strikers for six on Sunday afternoon, as he helped Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy (DWSA) to a 13-0 rout on the opening day of the South Zone Boys Under-16 Division of the 2024 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) at the Guapo Recreation Ground, Point Fortin.

Simmons hit the back of the net on six occasions while Kimani Kelly-Simmons chipped in with a pair and Kyron Baptiste, Mickel Samuel, Romeo Williams, Jonathan Guerra and Jayden Chadband contributed one apiece for DWSA.

The match was played in two halves, as far as the weather was concerned—the first half took place in sunny and humid conditions but the second half was staged in a rainy and damp atmosphere.

The climatic conditions did not faze the Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy, as they showed little to no mercy on their opponents from start to finish.

Under tournament rules, each game must be contested in 40-minute halves, with a minute stoppage (each half) for a drinks break.

It took only three minutes before the scoring avalanche began.

Simmons, whose movement in and outside the penalty box confused the Plaisance Park Strikers’ defence, collected a ball from the left, and fired a low left-footed shot beyond the reach of opposing goalkeeper Azekel Samuel.

Plaisance Park’s early struggles were epitomised in the eighth minute, when Samuel lazily allowed a tame shot from Simmons to slip through his hands, between his legs and into the back of the net.

Simmons’ hat-trick was completed in the 10th minute, with a right-footed shot following a pass from Kemron Figaro.

Baptiste got his name on the scoresheet five minutes later, with a close-range shot to the right of Samuel.

There was a halt to the scoring for 14 minutes before Plaisance Park’s defender Francois Benjamin, perhaps thinking that an aerial ball was going out of play, attempted to grab it while inside of his team’s penalty box.

A penalty was awarded and Simmons converted, to put Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy 6-0 up.

Plaisance Park’s attempt to play out of the back, in the 34th minute, backfired as Mickel Samuel stripped the ball from Darius Woodsley and fired a thunderous right-footed shot beyond the reach of his namesake in the opposing goal.

The Plaisance Park players, at that time, were not only beaten physically, but mentally, and their opponents were not in the mood to offer any iota of sympathy.

Two minutes before the half, a ball across the face of goal was met by Williams, running from the right flank, and he took the gift-wrapped opportunity to add his name on the scorers’ list.

Simmons added two more to his tally, early in the second half. In the 43rd minute, he drilled a low right-footed shot to the right of Samuel; and, in the 48th, he scored his second penalty of the day, after he was tripped inside the penalty box by Nicholai Hurst.

Guerra, Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy’s right-side midfielder, made it 10-nil on the hour-mark, when a loose ball was not cleared by the Plaisance Park defence, while Chadband scored a minute later from a lay-off by Kelly-Simmons.

And Kelly-Simmons put the final nails in Plaisance Park’s coffin with a brace—a left-footed drive in the 65th and a right-footed effort 13 minutes later.

Yes, one can say that it was the first game of the season, but the efficient way that the Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy performed on Sunday showed that they will be one of the teams to watch this season.

Another keenly-expected fixture on Sunday featured Point Fortin Youth Academy and Cox Coaching School.

Despite the fact that Point Fortin looked more threatening in attack, the game ended in a goalless draw.

In the 34th minute, Point Fortin’s captain and lanky centre-back Jimally Renne met a freekick from Khaliq Ashton and finished from close range. However, that “goal” was disallowed for offside.

The closest any team came to breaking the deadlock otherwise was in the 72nd minute. Ashton met a diagonal ball from the right by Josiah Smith and subsequently passed to T’Sean Simon, who could only watch in agony as his right-footed shot crashed off the crossbar.

Point Fortin’s coach Ghymo Harper pointed out: “The result was a good one for [us], knowing that Cox are one of the better teams in this zone. We’ve come out this year to prove a point. We’ve set goals and this [result] is a positive one.”

With regards to the opportunities his team had to overcome the stubborn Cox Coaching School’s defence, Harper said: “In football, that’s how it goes sometimes. On another day, the same person might get the ball into the back of the net.”

Harper was encouraged by his team’s showing in their opening match of the tournament, but he will not allow his squad to rest on their laurels.

“It’s hard to please me,” he said. “I always [want] more from the players, no matter how good they [are], my expectations are always high.

“I was just encouraged by the effort that [they] gave, especially my goalkeeper (Makadon Bridgeman). He’s a 13-year-old that come in the mix and he proved that age is just a number. He can stand up with the big boys.”

Shurland Beckles, coach of Cox Coaching School, was disappointed in his team’s approach to the game on Sunday.

“I find the guys were a bit too laidback,” said Beckles. “That is not our [style of] football. A lot of men didn’t play with confidence. We [were] not taking enough shots at the goal. We were getting the ball and the opportunities but not taking advantage.”

Asked if nerves played a huge factor in his team’s display, Beckles replied: “I wouldn’t say that. We have three new players and we haven’t bonded as yet, as a team. But, at the end of the day, everybody [are] footballers. We’re supposed to use the opportunities that we get to score goals.”

Week Two fixtures, in the South Zone Boys Under-16 Division, of the Republic Bank National Youth Football League, is scheduled for 3 March at the La Brea Recreation Ground.

RBNYL Results

Central Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 24 February)

Creek SCC 5 (Aaden Jones [2], Antonio Frank [2], Luke Eccles), Hillview College 4 (Dimitri Hajaree [3], Sanjeev Mungal)

Talent & Energy FC 1, Crown Trace FC 3 (Raphael Espinoza, Mickai Bobcombe, Abraham Raymond)

San Juan Jabloteh 0, Blue Hawks FC 5

Ultimate Unisons 2, Evolution FC 0

Under-16

(Sunday 25 February)

Beatnix FC 0, Gasparillo Youths 1

HEART Academy 2, MIC Matura Reunited 0

Evolution FC 0, Crown Trace FC 4 (Isreal Outar, Kerron George, Kayden Joseph, OG)

FC Tigers 3 (Jason Gamaldo, Israel Leonsing [pen], Allikye Douglas), Waterloo Institute 2

Under-20

(Saturday 24 February)

Blue Hawks vs Talent & Energy

*–Blue Hawks did not show

Cooper’s Coaching Academy 1 (El Valdo Garcia), Prison FC 0

Crown Trace 2 (Darius Bruce, Israel Outar), Evolution FC 0

MIC Matura Reunited 2 (Jehrell Ignatius, Theron O’Brien), Kamillionare FC 1

East Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 24 February)

FC Santa Rosa 2 (Liam Rose, Christian Thomas), Maloney RF FC 1 at Arima North Secondary;

Arima Araucans 2 (Josiah Pierre, Nahshon Mora), Beatnix SC 1 (Kemani Holder) at Arima North Secondary;

MIC Matura Reunited FC 0, World Class Soccer 7 (Matthias Legall [3], Zaide Elie, Djaun Joseph, Josiah Clinton, Keegan Jeatto) at Arima North Secondary;

Under-16

(Sunday 25 February)

FC Ginga 3, Hillview College 0

Arima Araucans 1 (Dimitre Jones), World Class Soccer 2 (Marcel Valentine [2])

Ultimate Unisons 3, Creek SCC 2 (Renaldo Punnette, Stephin Beekley)

FC Santa Rosa 1 (Christian Corraspe), PUFA 1

Under-20

(Saturday 24 February)

Hillview College 9 (Tyrell Stapleton [3], Zion Metivier [3], Anton Joseph [2], Lenroy Alexis), Kick Start FA 0

Malabar Young Stars 0, AIA 2 (Dejon Lezama, Theo Crovador)

PUFA 0, FC Ginga 2

Beatnix SC 0, Maloney RF FC 2

North Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 24 February)

First Kick Academy 5, Dibe Dragons 2 (Kemuel Forte [2])

City FC 5 (Reagan Rowe [3], Jeremai Nanton, Matthew Lee Young), Pro Series 2 (Xavier Barrow, Cristiano Boodhoo)

Belmont AFE 0, Santa Cruz Utd 10

Project Pro 0, Cardinals 2

Under-16

(Sunday 25 February)

Project Pro 0, Santa Cruz Utd 6

Cardinals 1, Prison FC 1 (Daniel Lewis)

Blue Hawks 1, City FC 7 (Nadeem Grant [3], Jalani Ottley, Adriel Faure, Phillip Nelson, Jediah David)

Pro Series 2 (Jasai Theophilus, Neomiah Thompson), Trendsetter Hawks 2

Under-20

(Saturday 24 February)

Cardinals 4, Seekers 2

Extreme FC 0, City FC 9 (Caden Trestrail [3], Kade Collier [2], Luke Correia, Seth Hadeed, Lorcan Chan Pak, Elijah Camacho)

Boyce Sports 3, First Kick It Academy 3

Pro Series 7 (Thomas Decle 4, Jediah King 44, Tau Lamsee 57, Maalik Jarvis 65, Musaddiq Mohammed 67, Nieem Taylor 75, Jakiel Chandler 90), Santa Cruz Utd 1 (Jephon Williams 80)

South Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 24 February)

Union Hall Utd 4, GDD Generation 0

Smart Academy 0, Gasparillo Youths 5

Tiny Mikes 0, Cox Coaching School 17

San F’do SA 0, Premier SC 14 (Jamel Bartholomew [3], Miguel Bobb [2], Soren Shade [2], Malik Charles [2], Oshea Watson [2], Tariq Marti, Derrel Ramsey, Kwesi Harding)

Under-16

(Sunday 25 February)

Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy 13 (Josiah Simmons [6], Kimani Kelly-Simmons [2], Jayden Chadband, Kyron Baptiste, Mickel Samuel, Jonathan Guerra, Romeo Williams), Plaisance Park Strikers 0

Cox Coaching School 0, Pt Fortin Youth Academy 0

Premier SC 7 (Orondell Parris [3], Timothy Rampersad, Avi Bhagwat, Justus Alleyne, OG), Smart FA 0

Union Hall Utd 4, San Juan Jabloteh 0

Under-20

(Saturday 24 February)

San Juan Jabloteh 5 (Josiah Gobin, Eran McLeod, Jaheem Danclair, Christian Browne, OG), San F’do SA 0

Union Hall Utd 2, Gasparillo Youths 0

Premier SC 9 (Kellon Williams [3], Daniel Jones [2], Marvin Waldrop, Chad King, Kaielle Elliot, Duane Edwards), Penal is Love 1

Tobago

Under-14

(Saturday 24 February)

TJ’s Soccer School 0, Ball Blasters YA 14 (Jahmiah Gibbs [6], Jaeden Anthony [3], Zaire McMillan [2], Darrion Balfour, Amar Allie Bacchus, Emani Baptiste [pen])

Under-16

(Sunday 25 February)

North Stars FA 3, TJ’s Soccer School 0

Under-20

(Saturday 24 February)

Gray’s DSA 0, Carnbee 3

Bethel FC 0, Roxborough Lakers 4

Georgia FC 2, Eagles FC 8

Girls Tobago

(Saturday 24 February)

Tobago Chicas 0, Black Panther 0

Combined Ballers Academy 0, Jewels 2

Girls Trinidad

(Sunday 25 February)

MIC Matura ReUnited 3 (Luann Craig [pen], Shurella Mendez, Jada Cummings), Trincity Nationals 0

Blue Hawk 2, San Juan Jabloteh 4 (Jada Honore [2], Shinika Lewis, OG)

Pro Series 13 (Kautlyn Darwent [4], Hakima Goodridge [3], Mariah Williams [2], Daneelyah Salandy, Calypso Ayouny, Kanika Rodriguez, Rasheda Archer), Curtis Orr Academy 0

Eastern County Utd vs FC Strikers

*–FC Strikers did not show