The BVI Football Association’s Men’s National League champions was decided on Saturday, which came down to the two best teams in the league.
The Islanders, who have lost both the Terry Evans Cup and the Wendol “Poto” Williams Cups to One Love, rode Nano Ottley’s hat trick to whip their rivals, 4-0, to lift the Heineken Challenge Cup and collect the $1,000 prize that goes with it.
The physical game saw both Islanders and One Love trying to take control early, but it was the Islanders, who advanced to the final on 5-4 penalty kicks over the Sugar Boys, as the more aggressive squad pressured the One Love goalie the whole match.
About 29 minutes into the match, Mr. Ottley put them up 1-0 — a lead they secured into halftime.
Five minutes into the second half, Anon Bascombe worked through the defenders to score the team’s second goal.
One Love pressured the Islanders, but missed a shot that shook up the Islanders goalie Monty Butler, who needed treatment, but stayed in the game.
Fed off a right corner kick, Mr. Ottley collected his second goal from a header in the 62nd, then completed his hat trick in the 86th minute. The Islanders pressured One Love several other times, but missed several scoring opportunities.
“Every win is special and basically, this is a combination of hard work and dedication from the players and at the same time working on our technique,” said Islanders Captain Andy Davis. “The last game we played these guys they beat us and we had something to prove tonight and we took the game to them, so it’s definitely special.”
One Love’s Captain Richard Morgan said his team was unable to put things together at the right time.
“These are the two best teams in the league and whenever we meet, it’s always a good game,” he said. “We came out and fought, but our finishing wasn’t there tonight.”