Hat-trick of own goals helps lift FC Aston Villa to comfortable win in ABFA knockout

By Neto Baptiste
The Willikies FC were undone by a hat-trick of own goals as they fell 4-1 to FC Aston Villa in the final set of matches in the round of 16 of Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) Knockout Competition when they met at Fort Road on Wednesday.
Defender Keith Conner, not one, not twice but three times, inadvertently put the ball past his own goalkeeper Naique Merick, as their promising run in the competition came to an end.
Villa got off to a flying start after Judah Christian put them ahead in the opening minute. Just seven minutes later, Conner opened his account of blunders with an eighth-minute own goal before another own goal followed in the 25th to put Villa 3-0 up going into the interval.
Striker Novelle Francis broke the trend with a 65th-minute goal for Willikies but Conner was not done. The defender added a third own goal when he beat Merick in the 76th minute.
Meanwhile, there were no own-goals at the Pigotts community field as Potters Tigers blanked Ottos Rangers 4-0.
National striker Keon Greene put Tigers ahead in the 17th minute before Bryan Daniel made it two-nil in the 24th. Mark Portsmouth stretched the winning team’s lead in the 62nd minute before Defante Braithwaite completed the rout just five minutes later.
At New Winthorpes, Jets FA advanced ahead of Swetes Vipers FC on penalties after the scores were even 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
Michael Peters, Jamil Thomas, Kamari Hewlett and Ian Grant were all on target for Jets in the shootout while T’noy Andrew, Juwan Roberts and Makhai Browne netted for Swetes Vipers.
Also on Wednesday, John Hughes beat Green City FC 2-1 at Golden Grove. Tijahni Isaac scored both goals for John Hughes, striking in minutes 28 and 86. Darbel Tito scored the lone goal for Green City when he struck in the 86th minute.
There was victory as well for Pigotts Bullets as they easily brushed English Harbour aside by a 6-1 margin.
There were two goals for Akeem Isaac who struck in minutes 45 and 84. Cardel Roberts (9th), Sujae McBean (50th), Vashami Allen (73rd) and Thwaites Tyrique (82nd) all scored once.