Nikita Gosine shines as Club Sando lift Women Wellness football title

PROMISING teenager Nikita Gosine walked away with the Player of the Tournament award as she helped Club Sando to a 2-1 win over Defence Force in the final of the Women Warriors Wellness invitational football competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on July 19.

Hosted by Defence Force, the week-long invitational tournament featured six teams, including the Grenada national women’s team and a TT Football Association (TTFA) High Performance team, who had a hearty battle for third place before the grand finale.

Orielle Martin scored a well-taken free kick, with Player of the Match Tyeisha Griffith and striker Rasheda Archer also getting on the scoresheet as the High Performance team strolled to a 3-1 win over the girls from the “Spice Isle” to cop third spot.

In the final, the previously unbeaten pair of Club Sando and Defence Force and Club Sando locked horns, with the latter team showing off their 2023 TT Women’s League Football (WoLF) pedigree by jumping out to a 2-0 first-half lead.

Fresh from Player of the Match performances against Queen’s Park Cricket Club in the second group match and the semis against Grenada, Gosine looked right at home against her more senior peers - delivering the first blow in the final with a moment of brilliance in the 22nd minute.

The Pleasantville Secondary student, who led her school to the Secondary Schools Football League girls’ national intercol title last year, collected a reverse pass from attacker Chelcy Ralph just inside the area before curling a lovely left-footed shot past Army custodian Nicolette Craig and into the bottom corner.

Craig was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tourney, but she was left clutching at straws once more in the 37th minute when Chrissy Mitchell scored with a powerful right-footed shot from just outside the area after another intelligent layoff from the industrious Ralph. Mitchell’s strike was worthy of winning any match, and it put her team firmly in the driver’s seat in the Women Wellness final.

Defence Force coach Devin Elcock made a pair of changes before halftime as he tried to shift the momentum towards his outfit.

In the 71st minute, the Army/Coast Guard combination pulled back a goal when Women Soca Warriors midfielder Asha James confidently converted from the spot after first-half substitute Shurella Mendez was brought down in the area.

In the latter stages of the game, Club Sando showed no signs of nerves and they looked more likely to add to their lead, but both Dernelle Mascall and Afiyah Cornwall were stopped by excellent saves by Craig.

The Southerners didn’t need another goal, though, and they were crowned champions at the final blow of referee Cecile Hinds’ whistle.

The impressive Gosine copped a third straight Player of the Match award, with Defence Force forward Aaliyah Prince taking the Golden Boot award.