The 2018 Cayman Airways Youth Cup came to an end on Saturday, 30 June, with Mt Pleasant Football Academy defeating fellow Jamaican side Cavalier Soccer Club 3-0 in the final to lift the trophy.
DeAndre Jackson scored his fourth goal of the tournament to open the scoring 13 minutes into the final at Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
After holding a 1-0 lead at the half, Mt Pleasant wasted no time extending their advantage when play resumed after the interval. Jalon Lopez, who would later be named the tournament’s most valuable player, beat the keeper in the first minute of the second half. Romario Gibbs added another in the 45th minute, while the solid defence kept the Cavalier SC attack at bay.
When the final whistle was blown, it was Mt Pleasant Football Academy celebrating the win.
Earlier, it came down to penalties to determine who would finish third. It was scoreless through 70 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of extra time between Central Brooklyn Soccer Club and Harbour View Football Club.
In the shootout that ensued, Central Brooklyn’s Kyle Durham came up big with three saves, as Osrick King Jr and Sebastien George scored from the spot. When Durham made a dive to his left to deny Harbour View’s Trevor Hamilton, that sealed the deal to win the penalty shootout 2-0.
Durham’s outstanding work in the playoff capped a solid week between the pipes all week and he was awarded with the Golden Glove trophy as the tournament’s top goalkeeper.
Cavalier Soccer Club’s Jhmar Brown finished the tournament with eight goals and collected the Golden Boot trophy as the 2018 Cayman Airways Youth Cup’s leading goal scorer.
On hand for the awards ceremony were Cayman Airways Vice President and Chairman of Academy Sports Club, Captain Dave Scott; Member of the Legislative Assembly and Councillor in the Ministry of Sports, David Wight; and President of the Cayman Islands Football Association, Alfredo Whittaker. Captain Scott presented the Cayman Airways Youth Cup to the winners, while Mr Wight presented the runner-up trophy.
