Antigua & Barbuda 6- 0 Bonaire
St. Johns, Antigua. (21st August, 2023)
A goal haul by forward Keitonya Skepple led host Antigua & Barbuda to a huge win over Bonaire in Group B Tier II action in the CFU Challenge Series U14 Girls. Playing at the ABFA Technical Center, the host romped to a 6-0 triumph over the Dutch counterparts.
With speedy winger Rolesha Humphreys out of the starting lineup, it was left to Skepple to lead the line and lead the line she did. The powerful forward was on the score sheet as early as the 11 minute as she raced onto a defense splitting pass by Aliyah London to send a firmly struck right footed shot past Rudzayrima Dorothea in goal.
Bonaire mounted an almost immediate response through Genisha Piar Cornelia with two shots in quick succession, the second of which required a diving save by Serenity Colborne to preserve her team’s lead. The lead was doubled soon after courtesy of an own goal. A Nafisa Quashie crossing the 21st minute, took a deflection to wrong foot Dorothea and give the host a two goal advantage. With Quashie pulling the strings in midfield a third goal was always on the cards and it came seven minutes later. Quashie played Skepple through with a well placed and well weighted ball and the forward’s well placed left-footed effort nestled in the bottom right hand corner.
Despite the scoreline, the girls from the ABC Islands managed to muster some decent foreys in their opponent’s half. Cornelia and Geraldine Alberto tried to push their markers back, carving out a decent half chance for Charlotte van Loo , but a timely intervention by skipper Denovis Jarvis thwarted Bonaire’s best chance of the half. Skepple almost added to her tally in first half stoppage time but lifted her effort over the crossbar moments before the interval. The halftime whistle came soon after to the relief of Bonaire, the host enjoying a 3 goal cushion.
Antigua & Barbuda came flying out of the gates on resumption and Quashie was rewarded for her industry in the 36’. After some slick build up, the diminutive player saw her initial shot carom off the upright, but made no mistake with the rebound putting the host nation four goals to the good. Skepple completed her hattrick four minutes later in the 40’ after Iressiea Allen picked her out with a cross to the back post.
Meanwhile, Bonaire continued to plug away and the introduction of trio, Latoya Willems, Q’sheantely Martines and Eleesha den Boef briefly stymied the Benny Girls’ offensive. That reprisal was short lived however, as Skepple capped off her scoring with her best effort of the match. Collecting calmly just inside the penalty area, she skillfully chip substitute goalkeeper Simone Sint Jago making 6-0 to the host.
Bonaire, commendably, continued to search for a consolation goal and Alberto forced her way between both center backs but Colborne was well positioned to preserve the clean sheet. It was 6-0 at the end of regulation, taking Antigua & Barbuda to 4 points, level with Bonaire and still with a possibility of advancing to the knockout stage.
