Holy Cross men won their 22nd Newfoundland & Labrador playoff championship

Holy Cross FC men won the Newfoundland & Labrador playoff championship for the 22nd time in their club history on Monday 12 October. Holy Cross won the 2020 provincial title after a 2:1 victory over Feildians AA in the men’s final at King George V Park in St. John’s.

After a scoreless first half, Jacob Grant scored twice for Holy Cross FC before Bobby Gamba scored late for Feildians. Grant won the Gerard Quirke Memorial Award as most valuable player of the playoffs.

Both Holy Cross FC men’s and women’s teams won their 2020 provincial finals on the same day. In both finals, Holy Cross FC defeated Feildians AA, with both teams based in St. John’s.

“We were rolling along this season, but Feildians played us well and beat us late in the season, so we had to refocus,” said coach Noel Jake Stanford. “We lost again to them on Friday in the playoffs, but we rebounded in the semi-finals ahead of the championship match.”

Across the shortened Newfoundland Labrador 2020 season, Holy Cross FC finished first in the standings with 13 wins, two draws and one loss across 16 matches. In the playoffs, Holy Cross FC lost the playoff opener (3:1 against Feildians), won their semi-final one day later (1:0 over Strikers), and then won the championship final (2:1 over Feildians).

Holy Cross FC have won 10 of the past 12 men’s provincial finals since 2009. After winning the first All-Newfoundland Championship in 1951, Holy Cross won two provincial titles in the 1970s, seven in the 1980s, and two in the 1990s. Holy Cross FC won Canada Soccer’s National Championships Challenge Trophy in 1988.

Newfoundland Labrador men’s playoff championship
12 October 2020 in St. John’s, NL, CAN at King George V Park, attendance 750

SCORING SUMMARY:
Holy Cross 49′ Jacob Grant
Holy Cross 63′ Jacob Grant
Feildians 87′ Bobby Gamba

Holy Cross FC : 0 Sam Hawco; 9 Sean Henderson, 4 Mike O’Brien, 3 Alex Pretty, 20 Alex Dolomont; 6 Hashem Khalifa, 7 Harry Carter, 2 Jake Warren (15 Jeff Slaney 81′), 10 Tyler Kirby, 17 Owen Sheppard, 22 Jacob Grant (14 Colin Connors 75′).
DID NOT FEATURE: 1 Jack Haywood, 12 Andrew Stanford INJ, 16 Jeffrey King, 18 Ethan Slaney, 19 Nick Ryan, 23 George Brokenshire, 26 Cesar Figueroa.
HEAD COACH: Noel Jake Stanford