A dynamite blew-up the stadium, as Rafiek Thomas, lashed what surely is one of the most spectacular goal of the season.
When on 52 minutes, he robbed an uncertain Rupert Murray of the ball outside the area before taunting him playfully to dribble inside, some eleven metres as a retreating Kemar Daley rushed to his aid in desperation from the other side.
It was to no avail, Rafiek was in complete control as he drifted perilously close to the penalty box he would shimmy, just once more, to dangle the bait,…they bit, by not tackling but watched carefully both eyes wide open on the ball yet, still tantalized not blocking the shot, that was unleashed with a warning, a thunderous effect from a deadly left-foot whistled goalward in the direction of the pro-active Edsel Scott.
His experience saw the pending danger, his excellent skills were inferior to the scud-like missile that hit its destined target like a bulls-eye, as it rocketed into the near “pigeon-hole” as the nylon bulged upon sudden impact, shuffling as it tried to adjust from the involuntary ripples of the after-shocks caused by the tremors and constant shaking, shimmering to restrict the awesome energy finally diffused to it’s delayed rest in the back of the goal. Scott beaten, Tivoli behind and Rafiek, the one time Tivoli striker and the butt of many brutal attacks, was “in his Ackee” and he knew it was his moment!
His ecstatic teammates descended like a plague on him, as he playfully evaded them for a moment in “catch-me-if-you-can?” drifting away to wards the HVFC Supporters in the Roxy Williams Stand, as pandemonium broke out, Buxton jumped on the field in reckless abandon, his large HVFC Flag trying to keep up with him, the Bench was over-joyed and the stadium was half happy and the other half in shock and disbelief?
Champions Tivoli bravely tried to restore parity but the second and most faithful would soon unfold. 21 year old, John-Ross Edwards would mimic Rafiek’s shot from just about the same spot 6 minutes later again testing the veteran stop-blocker from 22 yards but Scott could not hold on to the stinging left-footer and it sprung his grasp for a corner. Four minutes later Edwards popped up on the left side of the field to repeat Rafiek’s clever dribble, which is parallel to the box before attempting the right-footed version with again two men in tow.
Shell-shocked? One never knows but the miscued grounder flew out of Scott’s grasp to agonizingly roll under his stomach, appearing to the horror of the Tivolities through his legs and lodged in the back of the goal. His shame brought him to tears. 2-0, the game was over, nothing left to say?