Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Barbican's Dean Smith (second right) receives the NCB Capital Markets/Kingston and St. Andrew Masters League (KSAMLA) Trophy from Tiffanie Johnson, marketing co-ordinator for the sponsors after their 3-1 victory over last year's winners Shortwood in the final at Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday. Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) president A.B. Stewart Stephenson (left) and other members of the jubilant Barbican aggregation share in the moment. - CONTRIBUTED
BARBICAN MASTERS won the NCB Capital Markets/Kingston and St. Andrew Masters Football League Association (KSAMLA) Trophy with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Shortwood, in the final at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday.
Two goals by Wayne Whonder in the 11th and 75th minutes and one by Donovan Evans in the 81st gave the yellow and black-clad Barbican their third lien on the trophy, following victories in the 2001 and 2003 edition of the competition for 35-years and older players.
Lincoln Taffe (80th) slotted home Shortwood's goal in time added on, but by then the 80-minute regulation time game was truly finished as a contest.
Winning coach, Chris James, said: "It was an evenly played game and the first team that took its chances won the game. We took our chances and that's what won the match."
This year's final was dedicated to KSAMLA's late treasurer Ruddy Thelwell, who recently passed away. A minute's silence was observed for Thelwell before the start of the game.
Barbican Masters, beaten finalist in 2004, got a dream start when, Whonder, a member of the famed 1977 all-conquering Clarendon College team and a former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) premier league striker, shot them into the lead in the 11th minute.
The defending champions, Shortwood, weren't about to lie down and die and Taffe, Wayne Palmer, Raymond Webb and Bryan Nunes stepped up a notch looking for the equalizer.
It never came and Whonder, the 2004 leading goalscorer, notched his second of the day after sloppy defending from a Shortwood defender allowed him a second strike at goal. He duly obliged, rifling the ball into the roof of the net with five minutes remaining.
Not to be outdone, the hard-working Donovan "Whitie" Evans put the icing on the cake with a sumptuous strike one minute into time added on.
In a brilliant solo effort, Evans showed good dribbling skills as he shimmied to the left, then the right, before rifling home from 25 metres out.
Lincoln Taffe, reduced the deficit with almost the last kick of the game to bring some respectability to the scoreline.
