One Love FC are the 2023 BVI Football Association’s National League champions after defeating Rebels FC on Sunday, to dethrone defending champions Sugar Boys FC.
Playing at the East End/Long Look stadium, One Love defeated the Rebels 5-3 to take an unassailable 8-point lead to end their season at the top of the standings on 49 points.
For One Love, early goals came from Collin Lavia with one and Alcise Savary with a brace, as the 2018 champs eased to a 3-0 lead by the 64th minute.
Johari Lacey replied for Rebels with a goal, but Lavia netted his second in the 73rd minute to make the score 4-1, a score that would change to 4-2 just five minutes later as Lacey also netted his second.
Rebels had a slight hope of at least leveling the game after Ervince Lockhart made it 4-3 in the 87th minute, however, Zevon Samuel put to bed such hopes after netting in the 89th minute to secure the victory and the title for One Love.
Commenting on the victory was One Love’s Coach Left who said, “It was a great effort from everybody… We displayed wonderful football in our last two games, and I want to give the fans a big thank you for their support. It is a nice feeling to be returning champions, I knew the players were hungry for a title and I could see it coming.”
One Love’s closest rival and defending champions Sugar Boys FC have 41 points with two games in hand, and they made sure to defeat Islanders FC 2-0 also on Sunday to clinch on to the second place position.
Meanwhile, in the game on the Virgin Gorda Recreation Ground, VG United richly entertained a large home crowd with a 12-0 thrashing of Positive FC.
Goals came from Sheldon Toney (2), T’Khoy Morton, Joel Mars, Joshua Ramprashad (3), Marvin Brown, Levon Williams (3) and Mikel Morian.