MONROVIA – The Montserrado County District League opened with exciting matches over the weekend, with District 13 and District 15 registering important wins in their respective group fixtures, while Districts 14 and 16 suffered defeats in their opening encounters.
By: Christopher C. Walker, [email protected]
In one of the most anticipated matchups of the day, District 15, led by Coach Gerald Julius, claimed a convincing 3-1 victory over neighboring rivals District 14 in a local derby on Saturday.
District 15 got off to a dream start when forward Benjamin Sarkoh scored just two minutes into the match. District 14 struggled to respond, unable to find rhythm in midfield or capitalize on chances due to poor defending and missed opportunities.
Midway through the first half, District 15 was awarded a penalty, but Mark Karley missed the chance to extend the lead, sending his effort over the crossbar. Minutes later, Karley made amends by slipping past the offside trap to double the advantage, putting District 15 ahead 2-0.
District 14 responded before the break, pulling a goal back to make it 2-1 at halftime. However, a missed opportunity early in the second half, where a District 14 striker failed to score into an empty net after beating the goalkeeper, proved decisive.
District 15 capitalized on that miss, with Alahaji Samukai scoring a superb third goal to seal the 3-1 victory.
In the second game of the day, District 13 came from a goal down to defeat District 16, 2-1. District 16 took the lead through Jamel Kamara, who unleashed a powerful 25-yard strike past District 13 goalkeeper Ashley Williams.
Despite the early setback, District 13, coached by Samir Kamara, maintained possession and created chances, while District 16, under Coach Jasper Kun, sat back and tried to defend their lead through to halftime.
The second half saw District 13 level the match after a defensive blunder. A mix-up between District 16’s goalkeeper and central defender allowed Daniel Toe to tap in the equalizer.
Momentum shifted firmly in District 13’s favor, and they went ahead through Fredrick Dennis, who scored the winning goal with a clever move inside the box.
Coach Kamara praised his team’s composure and resilience after the match. “I feel at home coaching District 13. This is where I went to school, and it’s a sister district to 11, where I live,” Kamara said. “We’re here to qualify from the group and win the league, just like I did with District 11 two years ago.”
He added that his goal is to top the zone, which includes Districts 16, 5, and 9. District 16’s Coach Jasper Kun blamed the loss on the absence of four key players, which he said affected their overall performance.
“I can tell you we played a good game, but four of our key players were denied, and if they were in this game, we were going to win,” Kun stated. He, however, expressed confidence in the team’s ability to recover and qualify for the next round.
Following these opening results, Districts 13 and 15 have taken early leads in their respective groups. Districts 14 and 16 will aim to bounce back in upcoming fixtures as the Montserrado County District League continues to generate excitement, goals, and strong community support.
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