Anse La Raye fancy their chances in the upcoming Blackheart semifinal, following a dominant 3-1 victory over South Castries on Wednesday at the Soufriere Mini Stadium.
With their victory in the quarterfinal, the team will now face multi-time champions Vieux Fort South in a highly anticipated fixture on Friday night.
It was sweet revenge for Anse La Raye, beaten 3-2 by these same opponents just over two weeks prior in Qualifier One of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League Super League. With that win, South Castries earned promotion to the First Division or Premier League for next season.
This time, the 2011 Blackheart champions and 2022 finalists were more than ready.
The first goal of the encounter came just seven minutes after the start of play, with Anse La Raye’s Dahmanii Berthier capitalizing on a defensive error and slotting the ball home clinically. This would remain the only goal of the first half.
After the interval, the west coast team quickly doubled their lead. This time, Berthier turned provider, squaring the ball to his teammate Ray Joseph, who tapped it in, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
Just five minutes later, Anse La Raye extended their lead to 3-0 through a free kick by Alfred Hippolyte. This opportunity came after South Castries’ goalkeeper, Mernard Antoine, handled the ball outside the penalty box. Hippolyte’s strike from just outside the box on the right side served as the final blow for South Castries.
The game ended on a contentious note as tempers flared in a late scuffle on the pitch. A total of six bookings in the second half, including two red cards—one for each team—underscored the intensity and frustration among players.
South Castries managed a consolation goal in the 84th minute, courtesy of Rashard Eugene, but it proved to be too little, too late for the recently established semi-professional football league team.
Anse La Raye will face a tough test against six-time winners Vieux Fort South in the next round on Friday night, hoping their clinical finishing continues to lead them toward the championship.
