Naparima College maintained its position at the top of the 15-team standings in the Premier Division of the Secondary Schools Football League after thrashing previously unbeaten Carapichaima Secondary at the team's Lewis Street, San Fernando Grounds 5-0 on Wednesday.
And in the process, the southerners have now made themselves the only unbeaten team in the league. How coincidental the Angus Eve-coached team is the ones to bring the unbeaten streaks to St Anthony's College and Caps, the two last of the three unbeaten teams, to an end.
Naparima got a hat-trick from its multi-talented midfielder Isa Bramble in the 30th, 36th and 52nd minutes while another from Molik Khan, the school's national under-15 player, and an own-goal in the 8th minute, completed the host victory in front of its home crowd.
Eve's men will now face arch-rivals Presentation College in their next match next Wednesday as the school will be on a bye for Saturday's round of matches.
At San Juan North Ground, however, the home team spurred on by its fans fired four goals past Malick Secondary in a 4-2 victory. But the win only ensured they maintained the seventh spot on the table.
San Juan with 11 points after nine matches wasted little time in settling in the match and the reward was almost immediate. Goalkeeper Jaydon Taylor misjudged the flight of Kareem John's well-floated cross from a right-side corner, and Malik Farrier headed it past him for the opening goal in the 13th minute.
San Juan's dominance in the early moments led them to a two-goal cushion. This time Kareem John found himself at the end of a neat build-up on the right side, and his thunderous right-footed drive was deflected into the path of Chase.
The latter's attempt at goal was then handled in the box by Haile Farrell in the 30th minute, forcing referee Cecily Assoon to point to the penalty spot. Chase then calmly slotted the ball past Taylor in the Malick goal.
Soon before the half-time interval Taylor picked up an injury and was replaced by inexperienced Tristan Perez.
After the break, Malick pulled a goal back from Zion Carpette from the penalty spot in the 49th minute. However, Daniel Best restored his team's two-goal advantage in the 64th, when he galloped through an open Malick defence from Chase's feed, and calmly slotted the ball past an onrushing Perez to the bottom right corner.
San Juan's influential striker Renaldo Boyce then pushed his team's tally to four goals, when John outsprinted his marker down the right flank and centred for Boyce to turned nicely on his marker, before firing his effort into the roof of the goal for a 4-1 lead in the 73rd minute.
But as the match approached the end of regulation time, Mamade Guerra raced on to a lifted pass by Nickell Alexander in the 83rd and rifled it past the goalie to reduce the score to 4-2.
At St Augustine, the home team hammered Speyside 7-2 courtesy double strikes from Kyle Carrington and Tyrese Spencer. Speyside coach Kerry Lynch said his players were exhausted from having to play three games in five days.
WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
Naps 5 (own goal, Isa Bramble 3, Molik Khan) vs Caps 0
St Augustine- 7 (Dwight Jordan 23rd, Kyle Carrington 33rd & 50th, Tyrese Spencer 56th, 86th Joshua Ambrose 61st) vs Speyside- 2 (Jelani James 45th, Adriel George 84th)
Trinity East 1 (Isaiah Williams) vs East Mucurapo 0
St Anthony's 1 (Jean-Heim McFee) vs Pleasantville 0
San Juan 4 (Malik Farrier, Isaiah Chase, Daniel Best, Renaldo Boyce) vs Malick 2 (Zion Carpette, Mamade Guerra)
Trinity Moka 0 vs St Benedict's 4 (Tyrik Lee 2, Jaydon Grant, Kanye Francis)
Latest Team Standings
Teams*P*W*D*L*F*A*GD*PTS
1*Naparima*11*9*2*0*30*10*20*29
2*St Anthony’s*10*7*2*1*32*10*22*23
3*Presentation College*9*7*1*1*25*6*19*22
4*Carapichaima Sec*10*5*4*1*16*14*2*19
5*East Mucurapo*10*5*3*2*18*9*9*18
6*QRC*9*5*1*3*18*20*-2*16
7*San Juan North*10*4*2*4*23*9*14*14
8*St Augustine*10*3*4*3*25*18*7*13
9*Trinity East*9*3*2*4*14*18*-4*11
10*Pleasantville Sec*10*3*1*6*12*15*-3*10
11*Malick Sec*11*3*1*7*17*23*-6*10
12*St Benedict’s*10*3*1*6*12*19*-7*10
13*Speyside Sec*10*2*2*6*13*31*-18*8
14*Trinity Moka*10*1*1*8*11*35*-24*4
15*St Mary’s*10*1*1*8*5*34*-29*4
Upcoming Fixtures
(Saturday 19 October)
[All games kick off at 3.30pm]
Pleasantville Secondary v Speyside Secondary at Pleasantville;
St Mary’s College v Carapichaima East at Serpentine Road;
Trinity Moka v East Mucurapo at Moka;
St Benedict’s College v QRC at Lewis Street;
Malick Secondary v St Anthony’s College at TBD;
San Juan North v St Augustine Secondary at Bourg Mulatresse;
Presentation (San F’do) v Trinity East at Mannie Ramjohn;
Naparima College are on a bye
RELATED NEWS
Naps widen lead in Premier Division.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).
Shell/First Citizens SSFL Premier Division
NAPARIMA widened the lead in the Premier Division of the Shell/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) yesterday.
The defending champions inflicted a 5-0 beating on fourth-placed Carapichaima East at Lewis Street, San Fernando, as they stretched their advantage over second-placed St Anthony’s to six points.
St Anthony’s, dubbed the "Westmoorings Tigers", whipped Pleasantville 2-0 at the St Anthony’s Ground, Westmoorings.
Speyside hammered fellow mid-table outfit St Augustine 7-2 at St Augustine. St Benedict’s spanked Trinity Moka 4-0 at Maraval; and Trinity East defeated East Mucurapo 1-0 at Trincity.
San Juan North were also in winners’ row, as they beat Malick 4-2 at Bourg Mulatresse.
Malik Ferrier opened the scoring for San Juan North in the 13th minute, heading a corner through the hands of Malick goalkeeper Tristan Perez.
Isaiah Chase doubled the lead in the 30th from the penalty spot after referee Cecile Hinds adjudged a hand-ball infringement by defender Haile Farrell.
Another penalty, from Zion Carpette, reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 49th minute, but Daniel Best restored the two-goal lead for San Juan North in the 64th, with a side-footed shot past Perez after a wonderful piece of skill by his captain Ronaldo Boyce.
Boyce netted San Juan North’s fourth in the 80th, with a powerful right-footed shot past Perez.
However, Malick got their second goal in the 84th, from Mamade Guerra, who raced on to a through-ball from Nickell Alexander and finished past San Juan North goalie Emmanuel John.
On Monday, Speyside defeated QRC 4-3 in a rescheduled encounter.
League action will continue on Saturday.
SSFL Premier Division Results
(Wednesday 16 October)
St Augustine Secondary 7 (Dwight Jordan 23, Kyle Carrington 33, 50, 90, Tyrese Spicer 55, 86, Joshua Ambrose 61), Speyside Secondary 2 (Jelanie James 45+1 pen, Adriel George 84) at St Augustine;
Naparima College 5 (Jaron Pascal OG, Isa Bramble [3], Molik Khan), Carapichaima East 0 at Lewis Street;
Trinity East 1 (Isaiah Williams), East Mucurapo 0 at Trincity;
San Juan North 4 (Malik Ferrier, Isaiah Chase pen, Renaldo Boyce, Daniel Best), Malick Secondary 2 (Mamade Guerra, Zion Carpette pen) at Bourg Mulatresse;
Trinity Moka 0, St Benedict’s College 4 (Tarik Lee 4, 54, Jadon Grant 77, Kanye Francis 81) at Moka;
St Anthony’s College 2, Pleasantville Secondary 0 at Westmoorings;
Presentation (San F’do) v QRC at Mannie Ramjohn—Did Not Play
St Mary’s College are on a bye