The Brac Under-14 team

On Sunday, 21 May at the Annex Field in George Town, Grand Cayman, the top two Under-14 football teams in the Cayman Islands took the field to compete for the prestigious Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) FA Cup.

In this final match, the young Brackers from the Cayman Brac Football Club (CBFC) faced Bodden Town Football Club (BTFC).

Bodden Town earned their place in the finals by beating Scholars in the Quarterfinals and Catholic in the Semifinals, while Cayman Brac - the new kids on the block - fought off East End and George Town to earn their rights to the finals.

According to Brac Coach Mitchum Sanford, the much anticipated match was exciting and fast paced to the very end. The Brac seemed to control much of the play in the first half but it was not to be their day.
“Midway into the first half, the Brac became their own enemy when a miscommunication between Nicholas Scott, the goalkeeper, and defender, Anthony Scott, let Charlo McLean knock in an easy goal for Bodden Town,” he said.

“The Brac continued to press creating some possible goal scoring chances, but to no avail. Shortly before half-time Bodden Town struck again making the score line 2-0 in their favour.”

Coach Sanford said that, at half time, the Brac boys pumped themselves up and returned for the second half, eager to even the score line.

Having control of much of the play in midfield by playmaker Jamie Sanford, the Brac looked dangerous at times, but very hesitant to shoot and score.

“This came back to haunt them again midway through the second half, when Bodden Town took a corner and found an unmarked Arvid Harris, who headed to ball off a Brac defenders foot into the net to put the game at 3-0 and out of the Brac’s reach,” he said. The last goal took the steam out of the Brac boys and their dreams of winning the match. The game finished at 3-0, with the BTFC being crowned FA Cup Champions and CBFC having to settle for Runners Up.

“I’m so proud of all my players; they played a fantastic game. Just being in the finals is an honor itself,” said Coach Sanford. “Bodden Town was the better team and deserves to win. Congratulations to the district of Bodden Town and the Club itself!”

Supporting the Brac were Sister Islands MLAs Moses Kirkconnell and Julianna O’Connor Conolly, who flew over just for the match to offer their support.

As always, the Brac had a contingent of supporters in the stands. An estimated forty people made the trip from Cayman Brac and were joined by another fifteen from Grand Cayman.

The Brac will be back in Grand Cayman to face Catholic Football Club for the last remaining two games of the league season. If the Brac wins both games they will have clinched third place in the U-14 Queensgate League.