NORTH Zone leader Malick was left sweating after yesterday's opening second round matches in the North Zone of the BWIA Secondary Schools Football League. The Morvant-based outfit had its lead atop the table cut in half after it was held to a 2-2 draw by Mucurapo at Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.
The point earned pushed Malick, who had a four-point cushion going into yesterday's match, to 17 points. But St Mary's College is now too close for comfort.
The Saints (15 pts) shut out struggling defending champ St Anthony's 2-0 to keep in touch of the leader. Tranquillity also jumped into third spot with 13 points after beating Success Laventille 4-0.
Queen's Royal College meanwhile suffered a setback after losing 2-1 to Trinity. Both the Royalians and Mucurapo are now in joint fourth spot tied on 11 points each.
At the Oval: Second half Mucurapo substitute Kevorn Carter brought his team's fans to life when he broke a scoreless tie in the 61st minute.
Picking up a loose ball 20 yards outside the penalty box he wormed his way through the Malick defence and beat goalkeeper Kevin Graham with a low shot from close in.
But this brought the match, which had been quite lacklustre, to rousing life as it saw a desperate Malick fight back, not once but twice.
The first half was miserably undistinguished as both teams seemed bereft of ideas.
But after the first goal, Malick fought back and in the 73rd minute, Sabir Guerra collected a left side cross, and shot a grounder past Mucurapo goalie Durance Williams to level the scores.
But within two minutes Anton Joseph hit a powerful free kick from 30 yards which Malick's Graham failed to hold. From the resulting scramble in the goal-mouth, Sherwin Marcano netted a sitter for Mucurapo to take the lead again 2-1. However, a pointless foul just 25 yards out gave Malick's Kareem Allard the chance to earn the equaliser with a powerful, well-placed shot.
At PSA: Tranquillity taught Success/La-ventille yesterday that to be victorious the ball must be put into the net. The Victoria Avenue boys had less scoring opportunities against its Laventille counterparts but still walked off winners. Left-back Richard Arneaud opened the scoring for Tranquil in the 35th minute, netting a grounder following a right-side corner from Cetewayo Edwards.
Arneaud also had a hand in the second goal just before half-time when he laid on a deft knee-high cross to Jade Whiteman, whose volley beat goalkeeper Atiba Hume.
Goals three and four, to Keon Edwards in the 61st and Devin Elcock in the 89th, then came as a result of defensive blunders.
At Moka: Trinity took the lead early in the match with a goal from Kerwyn Ramkissoon. But just before the interval the Royalians levelled the scores. The winning goal came three minutes from the end when Hollis Browne converted a penalty.
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