Fatima College overcame a stubborn test from Arima North Secondary to register a 2-0 win which proved enough to regain the lead in the race for the 16-team Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Boys’ Premier Division on goal-difference from San Juan North Secondary when round 10 concluded of matches on Saturday.
At Fatima College Ground, Mucurapo Road, Aiden De Gannes handed Fatima a 1-0 lead at the interval with his joint-league-best tenth goal of the season before Michael Chaves added the second item in the second half, his seventh of the campaign to secure the three points for the reigning national Inter-Col champions to move to 25 points from ten matches, the same as previous leaders San Juan North Secondary.
Playing at home, at the former Bourg Mulatresse Ground, San Juan North Secondary found a tough defense installed by the visitors and four-time champions Naparima College.
With five rounds of matches left to play, Fatima enjoys a healthy goal difference of plus-31 to San Juan North’s plus-18 while Naparima is three points back with 22 and closely followed by southerners, defending champions St Benedict’s College and Presentation College of San Fernando, and St Anthony’s College with 20, 20 and 19 points respectively.
At Edingburgh 500 Ground, Malacai Webb made it five goals in two matches and eight for the season when he fired in a hat-trick to lead St Benedict’s past Chaguanas North Secondary 6-0.
Jaden Grant added a pair of goals in the win while Josiah Ochoa got the other for the Randolph Boyce team, the reigning title-holders who continued their resurgence after a 0-2 start.
At the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, Presentation College of San Fernando got a goal each from Vaughn Clement, Kaielle Elliot, and Duhrell Young, converted a penalty to blank Trinity East College 3-0, while over in Tobago, the visitors St Anthony’s College got a goal each from Amari Dunbar, Aalon Wilson-Wright and Mordecai Ford to record a 3-0 victory against host Bishop’s High School at the Plymouth Recreation Ground.
In the other matches, Oba Samuel banged in a beaver trick to carry his tally to ten as Malick Secondary trampled Pleasantville Secondary 6-0, Queen’s Royal College and East Mucurapo Secondary drew 2-2, and St Mary’s College and Speyside played out a goalless draw.