Sunset FC downs Cayman Athletic for first win

Sunset FC moved off the bottom of the table of the Cayman Premier League with its first win of the season on Friday night, 28 October – a 4-2 win over Cayman Athletic at the Annex.

Casey Berlin put Sunset ahead in the 14th minute when Shakur Welcome advanced for a save but Berlin put the ball past him. That lead did not last long. Three minutes later, Matthew Suberan executed a deft header in the box from a set play to bring the score level. (see video below)

An aggressive Welcome pounced to make an initial save against a Sunset attack but that left the goal vulnerable, with the back line of defenders unable to prevent Gavin Reynolds from opening his account to give Sunset the lead once more.

Cayman Athletic’s Martin Webb, who was active up front, got ahead of the Sunset defence but took a dribble or two more than necessary and missed the mark from inside the 18-yard box midway through the first half.

Another attempt by Webb in the 33rd was stopped by Welcome but Jorronie McLean was there to capitalise on the rebound with the equalizer.

Two excellent attempts late in the half by Cayman Athletic’s captain, Stephen Tatum, from free kicks tested Simon Jenkinson between the pipes. The first hit the crossbar and the second, a few possessions later, saw Jenkinson rise to tip the ball over the bar.

Tommy Tuohy ensured Sunset would take a lead into the break with a free kick in the 45th minute that Welcome did not get a clean grab on. (see video)

Berlin, a new signee for Sunset, added his second tally of the night when he headed the ball into the back of the net five minutes after play resumed.

Sunset continued to dominate the possession through the second half, while Cayman Athletic’s players despite putting up some resistance, frustrated technical director Ernie “Gillie” Seymour with their lack of discipline in keeping their shape and sticking to the game plan.

Sunset FC players celebrate their 4th goal of the night.

Sunset FC players celebrate their 4th goal of the night.

Sunset’s coach, Gareth Thacker, was pleased with his side’s performance.

“It was a great win. We played a disciplined game,” he said in a post-match interview with CaymanSportsBuzz.com. “We haven’t been picking the points up but we’ve been out of luck in the past couple of games. We had a little bit of luck tonight but it is always nice to get the three points.”

Thacker said he hoped the squad can keep the momentum going with an eye to moving up the table. “We need to build on it. We just need to be disciplined. We’ve had a lot of injuries in the squad but that’s no excuse. They’re all good enough to play and that’s what I keep telling them,” he said.

Jorronie McLean scored for Cayman Athletic.

Jorronie McLean scored for Cayman Athletic.

With the win, Sunset FC moves on to four points, leapfrogging Cayman Athletic for seventh place. Cayman Athletic is now at the bottom of the standings after five weeks with three points from a week one win and have lost four in a row.

Sunset’s next challenge is a date with defending champions Scholars International on 6 November at Ed Bush Sports Complex in West Bay for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. At that same time, Cayman Athletic will meet Academy Sports Club at the Annex.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.