Green Machine crush Fatima for InterCol title

But early on it felt like 30,000 inside. Two goals in the opening five minutes set yesterday’s final alight. The final even attracted a crew from Jamaican Sportmax cable station. But, the early shower never turned into the expected flood of goals. St Augustine won handsomely, but did not dominate. Rather, they exploited Fatima’s forward urge to pull level once they trailed at the end of the first half. Neither was the quality of play high.

Still, having now won both the boys and girls InterCol finals, St Augustine will be in for a huge share of the awards when the schools league hold its 2013 end of season award ceremony on Saturday from 10 a.m. at Miracle Ministries in Couva. Boys and girls all-star teams will be named.

St Augustine fans were shouting from minute one of yesterday’s final when Jordan Devonish put them ahead with a shot from top the penalty area. It was from the kick-off, when the ball was played to the centre of the penalty area, where Devonish finished proficiently with a dipping shot to the top of the net. The “Green Machine” had a 1-0 lead in the first minute and their fans frenzied.

Fatima’s posse were gathered in numbers on the lower half of the stand, and they were soon jumping and chanting themselves, because in the sixth minute Marquis Hoyte levelled the score at 1-1 with a low shot past ‘Gustine goalkeeper Romario Romain. Always wide, Hoyte was found by Dominic Jangoo’s short pass inside the left-back, and had both time and space to pick a spot.

The final provided a contrast in styles. Trained by Richard Hood, the Police Football Club Pro League team coach, Fatima opted for methodical build-up and structured passing. But, coach Michael Grayson had St Augustine playing behind the ball, before bursting out at pace on the counter-attack. And they had the right players for that game also, Ricardo John and Akim Amdrews having plenty of guile and turn of foot going forward.

It looked like another goal for Fatima in the 28th when the College team’s playmaker Jangoo, burst through the right flank. But, Romain was out quickly to meet him, and smothered the shot with a brilliant low save, to keep the score level.

Instead, St Augustine went ahead again and stayed there permamently. Shannon Gomez put them ahead 2-1 in the 32nd minute, when after a piece of brilliant dribbling where he split three defenders on the flank. The midfielder got a break when Fatima defender Leland Archer accidentally deflected the ball into his team’s goal.

Fatima keeper Akiel Guerra had already covered where Gomez’s pass was likely to go, and had no chance once Archer got a touch on the ball. But, the lead was not one easily held. Although ahead, St Augustine never looked comfortable in the first half and both Jangoo and Alvin Prescod sent shots wide from the right flank where St Augustine looked particularly brittle.

Having made it to the half with the lead, St Augustine began well in the second half and further extended the advantage to 3-1 in the 60th when from just inside the penalty area, Akeem Garcia put a seemingly tame, yet accurate rolling shot past the Fatima custodian.

Fatima pressed for the rest of the half, but made no inroads. Jangoo pushed almost fully into attack, but had too much to do and made little dent against the St Augustine backline which firmed up in the second session.

St Augustine played the final 20 minutes on the counter-attack, while giving nothing away at the back. John even had a finale, a brilliant solo run ending with a low shot in added-on time. From then it was celebration time for the Green Machine fans.

COCA COLA INTERCOL FINAL:

St Augustine 4 (Jordan Devonish 1st, Shannon Gomez 32nd, Akeem Garcia 60th, Ricardo John 90+), Fatima 1 (Marquis Hoyte 6th).

Teams –

FATIMA: Akiel Guerra; William Ward, Leland Archer, Jean Louis Waithe, Ricardo Hood; Brendon Creed (capt), Dillon Abraham, Omari George, Marquis Hoyte, Dominic Jangoo; Arvin Prescod (Joshua Perreira 76th).

ST AUGUSTINE: Romario Romain; Mackesi Quashie, Lincoln Burns, Romario Villafana, Kwesi Williams; Akeem Hodge, Shannon Gomez (capt), Akeem Garcia (Mickal Johnson 87th), Aikim Andrews (Maurice Ford 60th), Jordan Devonish (Keishawn Marcelin 80th); Ricardo John.

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St Augustine crowned InterCol champions
By Andrew Gioannetti (Guardian).

Nineteen years after last winning schools’ football’s biggest prize, St Augustine Secondary deservedly lifted the Coca-Cola National InterCol trophy following a 4-1 win over a strong Fatima College in an end-to-end grand finale at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

It was a long time coming for the Green Machine, a losing finalist in the national competition to St Anthony’s College, last year. The East Zone InterCol champions also went through this season without a single loss in regulation time making them early favourites to go all the way to glory.

Eight goals in two matches epitomised the Green Machine threat this year. It was also a fitting time to win for head coach Michael Grayson, who won four Big Five titles during his nine-year tenure, but never won the most sought after trophy.

An opening goal in the second minute from the ever-lively Jordan Devonish, an own goal in the 33rd created by captain Shannon Gomez, which gave the Green Machine its second lead, a gem from Akeem Garcia, scored just after the hour-mark, and a world-class solo goal from top-scorer Ricardo John in time added on, were what it took for St Augustine to put down Fatima.

John, one of the biggest players on the park, who scored in more matches than he failed to, almost looked to have closed off his playing days with the Green Machine without a goal.

Deep into time added on, John, who beat two Fatima players at a drop-ball situation just over the half line, dribbled his way parallel to another Fatima defender, beat him, before wrong-footing Fatima goalkeeper Akiel Guerra, undoubtedly for one of the greatest moments of his young career. John may have provided at least one assist earlier, but opted for his half-chances, which came close but missed the target.

To its credit, Fatima, a team which finished fourth in the SSFL North Zone league, but rallied back to win its zonal InterCol title, was at times brilliant. Coach Richard Hood, who drilled confidence in his team, allowed it never to roll over. In fact, a mere four minutes after conceding in the first 60 seconds, Dominic Jangoo, perhaps the team’s most consistent performer all season, set up the equalising goal for Fatima.

He fed Marquis Hoyte with a through pass to a one-on-one with St Augustine goalkeeper Romario Romain, who could not stop a top class finish. Fatima had several good spells of possession contained by midfielder Dillon Abraham, and a number of half chances.

Almost immediately at the start of the second half, Fatima put the ball in the back of the net, headed in from a St Augustine cross, but the assistant referee flagged for an offside. Although it did not stand, the moment seemed to see Fatima drop in confidence. St Augustine subsequently enjoyed more possession, but Fatima defended well.

The third goal from Garcia, who danced his way at the edge of the Fatima penalty area, before slotting into the nearer corner, put the match to bed. Almost all of Fatima surges were broken down in the final third.

Nevertheless, the match possessed top quality football from both teams. Hood who joined Fatima as head coach before the start of the season, would celebrate a North Zone InterCol title, after getting past league winner St Mary’s College and, in the final, East Mucurapo Secondary. His team, however, will have to wait for at least a ninth year before reclaiming the National InterCol trophy.

InterCol Final Result

St Augustine 4 (Jordan Devonish 1st, own goal 33rd, Akeem Garcia 61st, Ricardo John 90th+3) v Fatima 1 (Marquis Hoyte 6th)