Anthony Minott, Freelance Writer

Triple goalscorer, Chavanneese Clarke (foreground) controls a ball ahead of Portmore Strikers Rita Walker in their Sherwin Williams-sponsored mid-season final at the UWI Bowl yesterday. Barbican won 4-2. - Anthony Minott

Barbican ruled supreme in the Sherwin Williams-sponsored mid-season final, thanks to a Chevanneese Clarke hat-trick, which led them to a 4-2 victory over arch-rivals Portmore Strikers at the UWI Bowl yesterday.

Along with the trophy, Barbican walked away with $60,000, while Portmore Strikers pocketed $40,000 as runners-up.

"I think we played well overall. We stuck to the game plan and it paid dividends for us today," Charles Edwards, coach of Barbican said.

Edwards added that he had anticipated Portmore putting pressure on their defence and thought his team handled it rather well.

Clarke's goals came in the 16th, 28th and 57th minutes of play, while her teammate, Yanique Thompson, scored in the 88th minute. Iesha Mowatt (48th), and substitute Simone Murray (86th) replied for Portmore.

Barbican's Clarke scored the first goal of the game when she rifled a shot from outside the 18-yard area, beating an out-of-place Carole Kelly in goal for Portmore.

Barbican went two-nil up before the half-hour mark courtesy of some amount of finesse from mid-fielder Jodi-Ann McGregor, who made a defensive splitting pass, letting through Clarke who in turn buried the effort. The second half saw Portmore coming into their own and they were rewarded when the hardworking Jodi Morris crossed superbly from the left side and Mowatt glanced a header past an advancing Barbican keeper for a 2-1 score.

Clarke, however, then snatched her hat-trick, blasting home from just inside the penalty area. Substitute Murray again reduced the deficit to one goal, at 3-2, after finishing a beautiful two-man play with Morris giving Portmore hope with four minutes to go.

All hope, however, quickly vanished when Thompson netted with two minutes remaining in the contest.

Portmore Strikers' coach, Cornel Clarke, was a disappointed man.

"We played poorly. The squad was weakened because two key players, goalie Petra Campbell and Latoya Barrett, were out because of an accumulation of cards, and we didn't get enough effort from our reserve goalie, and a number of players just didn't rise to the occasion," he explained.

The teams will now turn their attention to league play continuing this weekend.