Discipline, Goals Define Week One Openers
BASSETERRE — Nine goals and two red cards marked the opening week of the 2026-’27 SKNFA/National Bank Group Premier League season, with Lyandre Williams’ hat trick and a heavily-carded scoreless draw setting the tone for the campaign.
Williams scored three times as TGE Dieppe Bay Eagles routed 607 Construction Lodge Patriots 5-1 on Saturday, netting in the 32nd minute, first-half stoppage time and the 54th minute. Reynaldo Matthew opened the scoring in the 2nd minute and Josiah Bradshaw added a fourth-minute-31 strike before Williams took over. The match produced the week’s only two red cards: Lodge Patriots’ Ron Johnson was sent off in the 25th minute, and Dieppe Bay’s Quasim Greene picked up a second yellow in the 70th after being booked alongside Johnson earlier in the half. Javern Matthew scored Lodge Patriots’ lone goal in the 62nd minute. Jamar Johnson and Mirico Cranston were also cautioned for Dieppe Bay, with Leon Huggins and Colin Jr. Norford booked for Lodge Patriots.
Rams Village Superstars produced the week’s other big scoreline, defeating SKELEC Garden Hotspurs 4-0 in Sunday’s Basseterre Derby. Caaja Burnham opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Joseph Wilkes added two, in the 16th and 90+1st minutes. Thelston Chumney turned the ball into his own net in the 38th minute for Village’s third goal before picking up a late caution in the 90th.
SL Horsford St. Paul’s United beat SOL Island Auto Conaree 3-0 behind goals from Vyhonrai Francis (3rd minute), Keithroy Freeman (first-half stoppage time) and Mahlik Clarke (49th minute). Four players were booked in that match: Keondre Maynard and Anthony Grant for Conaree in the first half, Kashawn Phillip and Kalani Heyliger for St. Paul’s across both halves, and Orland Wattley for Conaree in the 83rd minute.
Honda Newtown United handed defending champions MFCR Old Road United Jets their first defeat in recent memory, winning 2-0 on goals from Jean Wolf Edouard (9th minute) and Rene Junior Clerveaux Francois (53rd minute). Old Road’s Jahnyah Gumbs and Nejohn Browne were both cautioned, while Newtown saw four players booked: goalkeeper Jose Steevenson Constant, Kareem Burrell, Sylvester Caines and Hazon Marshall.
The week’s most heavily officiated match produced no goals at all. Development Bank St. Peters and Azul Cayon Rockets played to a scoreless draw Friday, with Cayon finishing the match with nine men. Mervin Lewis was sent off for a second yellow card in the 44th minute, and Zaykeese Smith followed him with a second yellow in first-half stoppage time. Seven additional players were cautioned across both sides, including St. Peters’ Delroy Barzey, Devion Harvey and Lyndon David, and Cayon’s Nicquan Phipps, Yohannes Mitchum, Tyrique Davis and captain Malique Roberts.
