San Juan Secondary Comprehensive yesterday marched into the BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League "Big Five" final with a 2-0 defeat of Mason Hall Government Secondary at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
The visiting Mason Hall outfit showed a lot of spirit to not only reach this far, but to put up a fight in yesterday's semi-final encounter. In the end, the stronger team won.
The East Zone champions were halfway there in just the fifth minute, when Manners collected the ball from a short corner and, with consummate ease, planted it snugly into Mason Hall goalie Keshon Davidson's far "vee".
But the team from the Sister Isle never dropped their heads. After a failed raid from San Juan, playmaker Daneil Cyrus offered Mason Hall's first threat with a dangerous free kick, which opposing custodian Glenroy Samuel was quick off his line to punch the effort out.
Mason Hall had two chances to equalise from close range before halftime, but their strikers hesitated long enough for San Juan to clean up. At the other end, San Juan looked dangerous each time they moved forward, but Davidson thwarted Neil Mitchell from close range midway through the half, then smothered a curling effort four minutes before the break.
Brendon Graham headed over an Oma Charles free-kick for Mason Hall and the score-line remained 1-0 after 45 minutes.
The visitors tried their luck from distance after the resumption and showed a lot of energy in defence to cut out early chances. Manners tried his luck from distance, placing the ball wide. Substitute Akeem Baynes played a neat one-two with Benton Charles, but could not finish from six metres out.
Manners initiated San Juan's second, picking out Kareem Girod with a wide free kick in the 67th and the striker obliged, rifling a header past Davidson.
Try as they might, Mason Hall could not find the break to get themselves back into the match. They were not clinical enough up front and the San Juan backline was very alert to potential danger.
The 2-0 victory gives San Juan the chance to avenge the 1-0 defeat at the hands of next Tuesday's opponents Naparima College, who in 2005 stopped San Juan in the "Big Five" final at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
San Juan, the defending InterCol champs, will savour the win, before getting down to the business of preparing for yet another SSFL national final.
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