Michael McLean, Freelance Writer
SANTA CRUZ, St. Elizabeth;
BALACLAVA United are still celebrating after crowning themselves midseason champions of the 2004/2005 St. Elizabeth Co-op Credit Union Division One football competition by thrashing neighbours Siloah Police Youth Club 6-0 on Sunday.
Inspirational forward Christopher Robinson scored four times to take his league leading goal scoring tally to 13. The other goals were scored by captain Winston Blake and substitute Jerome Palmer.
Coach of the winning team, Michael Daley, who is also the head coach of Balaclava High School, was full of praise for his team after the final.
"We played with a purpose ... the team stuck to the game plan and it paid off for us," Daley said.
Playing in wet conditions, both teams got off to fast starts but poor finishing let them down.
In the early stages Siloah, who lost only one game in the first round, looked more impressive but Balaclava took over the game after Robinson opened the scoring in the 30th minute. The first half ended 1-0.
Upon resumption, the sides delighted the partisan crowd with some exciting football. Robinson and Blake combined well in attack and could have made the contest's score more lopsided than it finally ended up. Two minutes after Blake was cautioned by referee Dwight Royal, he made it 2-0 with a beautiful header in the 52nd minute. A minute later, the skilful Robinson scored his second goal after he found himself in the right position to score from a melee.
At that stage Balaclava were all over Siloah, who were playing with ten players after skilful midfielder Terrick Powell was ejected from the game for serious foul.
In the 60th minute, Robinson got his hat-trick in the 79th minute to bring the score to 4-0 and got his fourth goal in the 83rd minute, then two minutes later he set up substitute Palmer who put the icing on the cake.
