U14 - Academy walk over St. Ignatius Prep

By Tara Bush
Caymanian Compass

Academy walked over St. Ignatius Prep 8-0 on Thursday in U-14 play.

The game that took place at the Catholic School pitch was one- sided from the moment the whistle sounded. It was 13-year-old Thomas Bush, who starred, recording five quality goals. In fact, Bush, who competes in CIFA's the Foster Brothers League as well opened with a goal in the fifth minute. St Ignatius, obviously physically smaller and probably the younger side, managed to hold the more experienced Academy off until the 19th minute. This time it was Smarnell Thomas who put the ball into the back of the net.

To be fair to the St. Ignatius squad, this is their first year fielding a team in the U-14 league. Academy has been there before and the experience of playing together showed. Just as the half-time whistle blew, Bush scored in the 33rd minute when he beat the defence and keeper. Bush tapped the ball into the open goal, taking the score to 3-0.

As the second half opened #9 for Academy belted in his third goal and earned a hat-trick.

It just seemed that Ignatius' defence imploded. Then their mid-field seemed to collapse, as they were so busy trying to fend off their mighty opponents who just kept coming and coming without any ease in sight. In fact, Bush netted the ball in the 56th and 60th minute. Joseph Welcome hit the target in the 64th minute and Thomas recorded the final goal in the 65th minute.

Catholic did receive two opportunities to run the ball into their opponents' third: one by Andrew Thompson, but it was cut short by keeper Joseph Tatum. Then Richard Hilton, Catholic first-half keeper, who had save his team's bacon for most of the first half, was on the field for most of the second.

Hilton's run though was for naught as it was squashed by Academy's defence.