Scholars vs Naya (Women)

By Tara Bush
Caymanian Compass

Scholars 2
Naya 0

Naya defended first place at the top of the women's league coming out on the other end of a 2-0 victory to Scholars dropping them in the third. George Town now sits on top despite being tied with Scholars with 10 points a piece. GT has the edge due to goal difference.

This game should have been billed champions vs. champion -- Scholars the 2001 League champions and Naya are the 2001 FA Cup champs - took place in East End on Saturday. The match began with jitters from both squads. In fact, the first 20 minutes could have been utilised as a good instructional guide on what not to do. But Scholars finally gained their composure and started to apply pressure to Naya's back-line.

To Naya's credit they frustrated and fouled Scholars at every turn.

And Scholars did improve, but Naya resisted the pounding for the first-half. Time after time, Susan Eden would cross the ball to Michelle "Mousy" McField who would skate into the 18-yard box. Naya's Marcy McGaw and Vickie Hew would then close. McField released the ball goalward either wide or into the arms of the Naya's keeper, Kerry Dilbert. Eden also attempted to score, this time it was Tansy Maki and Trina Christian that stripped her of the ball. Eden and Nide Moore were so close once that they were in the six-yard box. But Christian and Dilbert halted the action.

Another attempt also had McField knocking at Naya's doorstep. Again it was a left to right split the defence tactics between Eden and McField. Eden crossed the ball and McField fired. Dilbert punched the ball back into play giving McField a second chance. Dilbert was off her line. McField recocked and droved the ball goalward. Hew saved the day with a nanosecond to spare before the ball crossed the goal.

While Scholars seemed to have the run of the field, Naya's Shirley Roulstone and Ramona Sullivan tested Scholars' keeper, Catherine Murray twice in goal. However, both attempts were thwarted. The half-time pep talk must have worked for Scholars as McField scored in the 47th minute. It was a brilliant goal made up of 11 passes between Eden, Moore, McField, and Cassandra Bodden. Finally McField put her stamp on the ball and mailed it into the net. Then around the 68th minute McField redeposit the ball into the net, taking the score to 2-0.

But Scholars could not catch Naya napping again and the score remained 2-0. George Town routed North Side 8-0 later that night at the same venue.