Liberty Academy’s Mali Williams (left) and Nariek Anderson (right) try to dispossess Lanamman’s Jaydan Richards during the final of the Youth Football League (YFL) Junior Cup Under-11 football competition at the Constant Spring football field yesterday.
IN THEIR first-ever appearance in the Youth Football League (YFL) Junior Cup Under-11 football competition, Lannaman’s Preparatory School took home the eastern Jamaica regional title with a 2-0 victory over Liberty Academy yesterday at the Constant Spring Sports Complex.
One of the early competition’s favourites, Lannaman’s proved their title contender tag was not a fluke as they entertained their fans with wildly inventive and attacking football throughout the competition.
Lannaman’s head coach Haron Martin praised his team’s performance throughout the competition as he explained it was the product of years of work with this group of players.
He said while claiming the title is a great feeling, the priority for him was to ensure the players were mastering the fundamentals as they progress in their football development.
“I believe it was a good performance from the youngsters,” Martin beamed. “We are using this as a fine tuner for the prep school competition that is coming up. We are happy and elated with the win, but we’re not going to get carried away because this is our preparation for the season.
“We started with these players from a very young age, so I believe they are well into the development stage and they are now advanced. Of course, I am a coach who likes to win, but their development in football is always very important.”
Lannaman’s wasted little time in the final as they took the lead within a minute of the game’s start when Lutrell Grant fired home from just past the half line, beating Liberty’s goalkeeper, Sear Silvera, for pace.
Shocked by the early goal, Liberty Academy roared to life but saw their best opportunities stymied by Lannaman’s goalkeeper Tamari Richards, who was a fan favourite for his athletic saves.
Tyquon McDougall would seal the win for Lannaman’s in the second half when his diving header at the near post snuck past Silvera.
Martin said a major part of his team’s success was the support from parents and the school community, who came out in their numbers to cheer on the team.
“This has been happening for years at Lannaman’s because we have always been a supportive school as far as our parents and community goes. We really appreciate the support this evening and it played a vital role in us going all the way.”
