St Anthony's College maintained their perfect record with a 3-2 victory over East Mucurapo Secondary yesterday in the BG T&T/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) North Zone, but not before they were strongly tested by their opponents.
In fact, Mucurapo travelled to the "Tigers'" Westmoorings lair with a determination that turned a fifth minute deficit into a 2-1 half-time lead.
The home team, however, finished the stronger side to earn the win, and the scoreline reflected the overall play.
The Tigers dominated the first half hour, and it showed when they got the go-ahead goal in the fifth minute. A dangerous cross was headed out by the Mucurapo defence, only for Keane McIvor to run in and blast the volley past Dwayne Thomas in Mucurapo's goal.
Although they controlled the midfield, the St Anthony's failed to turn their opportunities into goals. Striker Darryl Trim was second best on at least three runs towards Thomas's goal.
But as the half wore on, Mucurapo became bolder, and made the best of poor communication in the St Anthony's defence twice.
First Aaqil Campbell squeezed himself between two defenders and poked home the equaliser into Jamaal Francois's near post. Six minutes later, Osei Charles out-leapt the diminutive Tigers custodian as Francois called for the ball. Charles's header was bang on target.
However, St Anthony's returned from the break with more intent, and pulled goal back just seven minutes into the second half. Their strong wing play provided the opportunity, with midfielder Luke Hernandez lifting a cross in for Garvin Samaroo to meet on the volley and hit the net.
The pressure was just a bit too much for Mucurapo to absorb and they lost their shape, allowing the St Anthony's to exploit the wings.
That pressure paid off in the 80th when the small figure of Ajani Clarence got his head to a Hernandez corner and flicked inside the near post to give the Tigers victory.
The result means that the Tigers have their fourth victory in as many matches, and are now one point ahead of Mucurapo, who will next have a bye.
Yesterday's SSFL scores
North Zone
St Anthony's 3 (Keane McIvor 5th, Garvin Samaroo 52nd, Ajani Clarence 80th) vs East Mucurapo 2 (Aaqil Campbell 38th, Osei Charles 44th)
Fatima 3 vs QRC 2
Trinity 4 vs Malick 2
East Zone
San Juan North 0 vs El Dorado East 0
Arima North 3 (Darius Rawlins 39th, Neveal Hackshaw 83rd, Marcus Gomez 85th) vs Trinity 0
St Augustine 10 (Tristan Hodge 2, Jamal Creighton 2 Jordan Devonish Mario Kissoon 2, Jeol Henry 2, Akeem Garcia 2) vs Barataria 0
Central Zone
Waterloo Sec vs Carapichaima East (abandoned after 22 mins)
Couva West 5 vs Presentation Chaguanas 1
Gasparillo Sec 4 vs Tabaquite 1
South Zone
Princes Town West 0 vs Presentation 1
Vessigny 0 vs Shiva Boys 4
St Benedict's 0 vs Pleasantville 1 (Russell Alfred)
Tobago Zone
Mason Hall 2 (Hakeem Legall 4th, o.g. Kleon Melville 41st) vs Pentecostal Light & Life 1 (Corran Woods 15th)
Scarborugh 2 (Valdez Perez 40th [P], Kiel O'Neil 85th) vs Speyside Secondary 0
Couva, Scarborough stay perfect.
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian).
Couva West (Central) and Scarborough Secondary (Tobago) maintained their 100 per cent winning records when matches in their respective zones of the BGTT/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League resumed yesterday.
In Central, Jaffet Williams netted in the fourth and 51st minutes to lead Couva West past Presentation College 5-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium. Kendell Benjamin (34th), Ronald Rouse (48th) and Jevon Sandiford (49th) were also on target for Couva to cancel out a 30th minute strike from Presentation’s Kyle St Clair.
The win was the third from as many matches for Couva West to move to maximum nine points, three ahead of defending champion Carapichaima which was leading host Waterloo 4-0 led by two goals from Shaquille Holder before the match was called off after 22 minutes.
This after Waterloo began the encounter with only eight players and was soon reduced to six due to injury to two of its players. In the other match, Gasparillo picked up its first points of the season in a 4-1 whipping of Tabaquite inspired by a double from Chevon Elie.
In Tobago, Scarborough made full use of Signal Hill’s bye round to go top with a 2-0 shut-out of Speyside at Speyside Recreation Ground. Valdez Perez fired Scarborough into the lead five minutes before the interval while Kiel O’Niel sealed all three points, five minutes fromthe final whistle.
Scarborough now has nine points from its three matches, three more than defending champions Signal Hill while Mason Hall is third after a 2-1 win over Pentecostal Light and Life at Bon Accord.
Down South, former national Under-17 striker Shackiel Henry netted his sixth goal in four matches as early as the firts to secure hard fought 1-0 win for leaders’ Presentation College over Princes Town.
Presentation improved to 12 points from five matches, three ahead of Shiva Boys’ and Pleasantville, 5-0 and 1-0 winners’over Vessigny and St Benedict’s College respectively.
San Juan still ahead.
By: Rachael Thompson-King.
San Juan North Secondary, despite being held to a goalless draw by El Dorado East, remains the leader in the East Zone. The match was played at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima yesterday.
There is still a two-way tie for the second spot as both Arima North and St Augustine were victorious in their respective matches.Arima North, playing at home, handed Trinity College its first loss of the season, beating the visitors 3-0. Darius Rollings connected the opening item in the 40th minute to give the “Dial Dynamos” a 1-0 at the half.
Trinity stayed resilient defensively at the start of the second half but constant pressure from the Arima unit, saw them concede another goal in the 82nd minute from Neveal Hackshaw.
Two minutes later, Marcus Gomes put the icing on the cake for Arima, giving them a 3-0 lead which it held on to till the end. Defending national and zonal champion St Augustine was a little less brutal on hapless Barataria South than other teams this season but it did come away with a 10-0 win at home.
“Gustine” had four players scoring doubles including Jamal Treighton, Joel Henry, Tristan Hodge and Akeem Garcia. The other two goals came from Jordan Devenish and Mario Kissoon.
Westmoorings Tigers go top.
By Andrew Giaonetti.
Ajani Clarence scored the winner as St Anthony’s College overcame a 2-1 half-time deficit for a 3-2 win over East Mucurapo in their top-of-the-table North Zone clash in Westmoorings, yesterday.
Keane Mc Ivor opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute for the “Tigers” but they trailed at the half as “East Mucurapo” hit back with goals from Akil Campbell, set up by Ariel McDavid in the 37th and a header from Dsel Charles on the stroke of half-time.
The tables turned quickly in the second half as St Anthony’s equalised when national under-17 midfielder Garvin Samaroo connected with winger Luke Hernandez’s left side cross to finish clinically before Ajani Clarence got the winner in the 75th for the host, heading in a corner from Hernandez.
The win carried the Tigers, one of five teams with perfect records in the league to 12 points from four matches, two ahead of East Mucurapo.
Yesterday’s results
North
St Anthonys 3 (Keane Mc Ivor 5th, Garvin Samaroo 54th, Ajani Clarence 75th) v East Mucurapo 2 (Akil Campbell 37th, Dsel Charles 45th)
Trinity 4 (Uche Alexander 20th, Dominic Jangoo 34th, Jameel Neptune 57th, Damani Richards 58th) v Malick 2 (Andel Francois, Andel Andrews 69th)
Fatima 3 (alvin Prescod 11th, Trey Hart 14th, Keiron Matthews 18th)v QRC 2 (Akil Morris 18th, Dwayne Muckette)
East
Arima North (1) 3 (Darius Rollings 40th, Neveal Hackshaw 82nd, Marcus Gomes 84th) vs Trinity College (0) 0.
St Augustine (5) 10 (Jamal Treighton 2, Joel Henry 2, Tristan Hodge 2, Akeem Garcia 2, Jordan Devenish, Mario Kissoon) vs Barataria 0.
San Juan North 0 vs El Dorado East 0.
South
Pleasantville 1 (Russell Alfred 90th) vs St Benedict’s 0
Shiva Boys’5 (Aswad Lake 17th, Tevin Peters 45th, Kyle Granger 54th, Kieron Moses 67th, Shervon Diaz 90th) vs Vessigny 0.
Presentation 1 (Shackiel Henry 1st) vs Princes Town 0
Central
Carapichaima 4 (Shaquille Holder 2, Denzil Gill, Christopher Prime) vs Waterloo 0 - match stopped after 22 mins due to Waterloo only have six players
Couva West 5 (Jaffet Williams 4th, 51st, Kendell Benjamin 34th, Ronald Rouse 48th, Jevon Sandiford 49th) vs Presentation 1 (Kyle St Clair 30th)
Gasparaillo 4 (Chevon Elie 2, Anthony Forde, Sheldon Rambaran) vs Tabaquite 1 (Keagan Moonessir).
Tobago
Mason Hall 2 (Hakeem Legall 14th, Kleon Melville 26th o.g) vs Pentecostal L&L 1 (Corran Woods 15th)
Scarborough 2 (Valdez Perez 40th, Kiel O’Neil 85th) vs Speyside 0
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