Hosts St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands met in a CONCACAF Women World Cup Qualifier at the Arnos Vale Grounds before a very appreciative and partisan crowd, last Wednesday April 06, 2022, with the host winning 5-1. A gold mouth melee ensured and Annesta Richard got a boot to the ball as BVI goalkeeper Britney Peters scrambled to keep the ball from crossing the line, to send hosts St. Vincent and the Grenadines into the lead in the 7th minute.
If there was any doubt if the ball did cross the line when the first goal was scored, there was no doubt in the second. Areka Hooper slammed from close range as she took full advantage of a disorganized defence to send St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2-nil ahead in the 14th minute.
Kristiane Wyllie made it 3-nil in the 33rd minute, adding even more pressure on the struggling visitors. Dionte Delpeche made it 4-1 in the 66th minute, after Kitanna Richards gave the visitors something to cheer about with an own-goal in the 61st minute.
Kendra Findlay had an opportunity to heap further misery on the BVI women, when referee Crystal Sobers pointed to the spot after a player was brought down in the area. But her powder-puff kick from the penalty spot, only resulted in the BVI custodian Peters diving full stretch to her right and pulling off a save near the upright.
Kitanna Richards then added the home team’s fifth goal in the third minute of added time, as St. Vincent and the Grenadines romped home 5-1 winners.
Robertson S. Henry is a multi-time award winning sports journalist from Saint Lucia, currently residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. His coverage of sporting events both locally and regionally, not just landed him the Sports Journalist of the Year Award on numerous occasions, but recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2005.
Henry began his fulltime career in journalism with the now defunct Crusader Newspaper in 1994, and worked with the Voice Newspaper until 2007. He established the sports website sportcaraibe, and believes “sports is the fourth pillar in the socio-economic development of the Caribbean.”
Henry has also produced work for a number of regional newspapers including the Trinidad Guardian, Stabroek Newspaper of Guyana, and in 2010 did a photo-shoot of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke for the Australian Herald.
