The Sugar Boys are the 2018 Presidents Cup winners with the Cup proving to be a huge success for the BVI Football Association. Photo: BVI Football Association

The Sugar Boys proved just too fast and clinical for Wolues who were never allowed to get into their game. Photo: BVI Football Association

Sugar Boys on top

The Cup is a straight knockout competition in which the winner takes all, while the loser goes home. In the first round of games played at the Virgin Gorda recreation grounds, first place in the regular league and National champions One Love F.C, came up against 4th place Wolues F.C, while second-placed Sugar Boys came up against 3rd place Islanders’. Both semi-final games were played in Virgin Gorda under lights.

In game one defending champs One Love came out with fire in their eyes and great confidence against a team who although much improved in 2018 had not defeated them and certainly were not favourites by a long shot to beat the champs. This was probably the most competitive game played in the cup because the Wolues came out with a vengeance and scored first against the champions. One Love very quickly responded with a goal of their own but the Wolues would not stand down and responded with another goal of their own. With minutes left in the first half, the champs scored again to send the two team into the half at 2-2.

In the second game, both Wolues and One Love scored again to make the tie 3-3. It was in extra time that Wolues were finally able to break the tie and give themselves a ticket into the finals with a 4-3 win over the league champions One Love.

Semi-finals

In the other semi-finals, the Islanders F.C never seemed to get into the game against home team Sugar Boys F.C who from the whistle hustled the 2016 league champions. It was a goal fest from the first quarter as the home team ended the night 5-1 and got a birth in the finals against Wolues F.C.

The Finals came with a lot of hype as Wolues had defeated the defending champions and were the most improved team in the league in 2018, but the Sugar Boys were at home and themselves had a great year only being manhandled by One Love who were now out of the Cup.

On the night Sugar Boys proved just too fast and clinical for Wolues who were never allowed to get into their game. It could be argued that the Sugar Boys had home court advantage but, the Sugar Boys came into the finals better prepared on the night and executed their plays better. Wolues who had played their best football in the semi-finals were never able to get into their rhythm in the Finals, losing to the Sugar Boys 5-2.

After the game, President Andy Bickerton saluted Sugar Boys for a game well played and also showed his appreciation to Virgin Gorda Football for raising their hands and being available to assist with their recreation grounds when nowhere in Tortola was available to host the Cup.