Monrovia – Barrack Young Controller returned to domestic football after their devastating defeat at the hands of SuperSport United in the CAF Cup with a resounding 5-0 victory over Invincible Eleven (IE) on Saturday at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in central Monrovia.
Report by Christopher C. Walker – [email protected]
A hat trick from Captain Van-Dave Harmon, and a goal each from Mark Paye and Karleo Anderson were enough to humiliate Liberia’s oldest football club IE, in a one-sided match thoroughly dominated by the Liberian champions.
Saturday’s victory lifted BYC up the log to 2nd spot with 24 points, 7 points behind Fassell FC, as they continue to chase the league leaders.
BYC has a game in hand after the 13th round this weekend, third-placed Monrovia Club Breweries trails BYC by goals difference.
The match first attempt on goal came in the 13th minute, when BYC’s Prince Saydee shot came off the post after a Prince Kennedy cross.
A minute later Mark Paye got the match opener for the defending champions with a placement after a Claudius Morris pass.
IE defender Aaron Kuyateh was given the first yellow card of the match after a foul on Saydee in the 18th minute.
BYC keeper Morris Tarr was force to make a decent save, after Morris Sando effort from outside the 18-yard box, resulting in IE’s first corner kick of the encounter later, Former BYC- II mid-fielder Orland George’s 20-yard shot was denied by Tarr.
Van-Dave added BYC’s second goal of the match in the 27th minute when he received a cross from “right back” who was playing “left back,” Prince Kennedy.
Harmon controlled the ball well in the six-yard box before splashing the ball at the back of the IE’s net.
IE’s goalkeeper Jerimiah Sickey saved a “one on one” ball from the BYC captain in the 18-yard box ,one he saved with his legs, denying the “Go Blue Boys” their third goal of the afternoon.
With lots of pressure on IE, the home side coach Samuel Sumo brought on Kelvin Dixson for Daddy Forkpa, hoping to increase their counter attack, but late in the 39 minute IE Madas Sawele was booked, ending the first half 2-0 in favor of BYC.
Back from the dressing rooms Prince Saydee who was somehow silent in the match, raced passed two IE defenders, before crossing a wonderful ball for Paye who missed a clear opportunity from three yards.
Fifty minutes in the match Aaron Kutateh and Robert Jackson combined well, but Kuyateh ‘s eventful shot went off the post.
BYC’s Copper Sannah made a double substitution in the 60th minute replacing debutant Sam Jackson and Prince Saydee, for Sporo Somah and skillful kid Ketu Jerbo, yet increasing their attacking options,
IE who President had resigned a day before their match with BYC, fans continued to see the “Yellow Boys” underperforming.
BYC aggressively competent Kemoh Kamara, got his name in the referee book after extending his leg to clear a ball.
With BYC up 2-0 Mark Paye was withdrew for Karleo Anderson, The “Go Blue Boys” were awarded a penalty in the 71 minute for a hand ball in the box by Madas Sawele.
Anderson lasted less than two minutes on the pitch to score from the penalty spot.
The penalty kick was curiously pass from Van Dave and Prince Kennedy to Anderson for which may have been a confidence building redemption of his missed penalty versus SuperSport United and the right back relief himself by scoring the penalty.
Sporo could have add his name to the score sheet but his strike was deflected by Sickey’s Leg.
Harmon got his second goal of the match in the 79th minute with a powerful header which beat Sackey, and completed his hat trick in the 82nd minute after a rebound interception of a Karleo strike from 17 yards to end the match 5-0.
BYC defeated IE 6-0 during the first leg.
Saturday’s hat trick for Van-Dave is his second of the season with both coming against seemly relegation bound IE.
Van-Dave now joins Fassell’ s James Wallatee as the 2017 LFA’s top scorers with nine goals each.
Fassell and BYC will meet Friday, April 28 at 4pm (ATS) in the most anticipated match of the season, in the first round of the 2017 LFA Cup.
“I’m very satisfied with how the team played today,” BYC’s coach, Copper Sannah, said “everybody was focused from the beginning to the end.
The players knew how important it was to win these three points.”
BYC dominated IE, who are at the bottom of the table. Paye and Harmon got the goals as Claudius Morris also played extremely well dictating the flow of the game.
“We could have scored more,” BYC defender Prince Jetoh said.
“But the main thing was to get the three points. We are back to winning ways now, we’ll see what happens in the other matches.”