Tigers end season trophyless
Underdogs Fatima College and East Mucurapo left the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road, stunned yesterday when both teams secured berths into the final of the Coca-Cola North Zone InterCol competition with upset victories over league winner and Big-Five finalist St Mary’s College (2–0) and the reigning national InterCol champion, St Anthony’s College (on penalty kicks), respectively.
Marquis Hoyte hammered the final nail in St Mary’s coffin with moments remaining in the encounter, when he scored Fatima College’s second goal with a close ranged effort, in the second match of a double-header.
St Mary’s, a flat team which scraped through to the semifinal with a 1–0 win over Senior Division champion, Trinity College, days prior, barely looked dangerous against a Fatima team it had defeated twice throughout the league campaign. Kyle Lancaster opened with the first goal halfway through the first period, before his team breezed through the remainder of the contest.
The win put a resurgent Fatima College into the final against East Mucurapo Secondary, which ended the league campaign one spot above it in third.
In the day’s opening fixture, a penalty shoot-out between East Mucurapo Secondary and reigning champion St Anthony’s College was required to separate the two teams, after the semifinal ended in a 2–2 stalemate. The match, however, was far from stale as Mucurapo’s support, at the edge of their seats, breathed a sign of relief as coach Selris Figaro’s team endured a late surge from St Anthony’s before taking the match on spot kicks.
St Anthony’s came from two goals down to draw the match, before Mucurapo exacted revenge on the Tigers, which it lost to 5-0 in the last league fixture, with a 4–3 win from penalty kicks.
The result meant St Anthony’s uncharacteristically went without a trophy for the entire season. And, St Mary’s, which had much promise with its league win and runner-up finish in the Big Five competition, had to go without a cup.
St Anthony’s bad fortune began on the opening day of the season, when the Westmoorings-based team faced 2012 Big-Five champion Carapichaima East Secondary in the inaugural Ormond Gabriel Memorial Trophy. The Central Zone team won the match 5–4 in a thrilling contest, ironically at the same venue, the national stadium, back in September.
East Mucurapo prolific striker Akeem Roach gave his team a stunning two goal advantage with both efforts coming in the space of ten minutes, first in the 37th, and the second with two minutes into time added on.
St Anthony’s, hungry for silverware to please it vocal support, responded ten minutes into the second half via a penalty kick from Shaquille Long. This after Kiel Pierre was taken down in the box. With time running out, Dwayne Caliste came up big with the equalising goal in the 81st minute, to send the match to spot kicks as extra time was ruled out of the competition.
In the end, Mucurapo converted all of its chances, while Kwesi Allen (saved) and Kadeem Corbin (skied effort) rued their missed kicks.
Action continues with East and South Zone semifinal double-headers at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, and Skinner Park, San Fernando, respectively.
Results
East Mucurapo 2 (Akim Roach 37th, 45th+2) vs St Anthony’s 2 (Shaquille Long pen 56th, Dwayne Caliste 81st)
- East Mucurapo won 4-3 via kicks from the penalty mark
Fatima College 2 (Kyle Lancaster 26th, Marquis Hoyte 86th) vs St Mary’s College 0
FIXTURES
East Zone Semifinals
El Dorado West vs Arima North, Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, 3 pm
St Augustine vs Trinity East, Marvin Lee Stadium, 5 pm
South Zone Semifinals
St Benedict’s vs Princes Town, Skinner Park, San Fernando, 3 pm
Fyzabad vs Shiva Boys, Skinner Park, 5 pm
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