Hood beat Onions in title decider
Robin Hood completed their quest for a maiden Corona League title with a hard fought victory over league leaders Flanagan’s Onions at Goose Gosling Field on Friday..Hood needed a win to snatch the title away from Onions who went into the final game of the league season three points ahead of their nearest rivals and with a slightly better goal differnce.Hood’s goal difference was 37 and Onions’ 38 prior to kick off, but with the match finishing 3-2 to Hood the goal differences were reversed leaving their coach Derek Stapley delighted."We are absolutely delighted to have won the league and to have done so in such an exciting fashion makes it that bit special,” he said.“The game on Friday night was a superb spectacle for the large and noisy crowd who turned out and witnessed 90 minutes of extremely competitive football with both sides playing attacking football and battling for every ball for every minute of the game.“I was very pleased with our performance and of the work rate of every one of our players. We have a great squad and everyone works hard for each other and brings a very positive mindset and attitude to our training sessions and our games. We also have a lot of fun doing what we do on and off the field and that is a big factor in our success as a club.“Flanagan’s knew they only needed a draw to win the league title but to their credit they played for an outright victory from start to finish.“They were great opponents and could have tied up the match in the last 15 minutes when they were trailing by 3-2 and put some incredible pressure on our defence. They would have scored but for some magnificent defending and a string of superb saves by Paul Fox.”Gary McRoberts put Onions ahead after only five minutes, but were pegged back when former Bermuda Hogges striker Lloyd Holder levelled matters a minute later.Holder increased Hood’s lead midway through the first half, but their lead was short-lived with McRoberts adding his second early in the second period.Hood were awarded a penalty midway through the second half with veteran Gary Ray making no mistake from the spot.Stapley believes the close race for the title showed the Corona League was getting more competitive each season.“The Corona league continues to go from strength to strength and Friday was a great showpiece for what it's all about,” he said.“We had the top two teams in the league table playing each other in the very last game of the season with our victory coming down to a one goal difference over the course of 20 matches.“The Corona games each week are competitive and played in a very sporting manner and the quality of the football gets better and better.“The crowds are growing every year because the facilities at BAA are superb and the clubs self-police everything so we have been fortunate to date not to encounter some of the problems we unfortunately see elsewhere at football grounds in Bermuda.“I would like to join everyone else in the Corona league to thank Goslings for being our sponsors and being so supportive of the league.“I would also like to thank Mr Paul King at The Robin Hood Pub and Restaurant for sponsoring our football team. We hope you are as pleased as we are with the new trophy that now sits proudly at the restaurant.”Other results over the weekend saw North Village beat Lock N Key, Tuff Dogs defeat West End United 4-0, and Lobster Pot grab three points over Valley in Saturday’s fixtures.Friday night’s other match saw BAA triumph over Vasco.