Mucurapo Secondary Comprehensive have dominated the 2008 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League North Zone in their quest for the zonal title.
Anslem Jackson was the hero for Fatima College at their Mucurapo Road Ground, stroking the ball into the far post in injury time after a neat through pass on the left to seal a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
The win means "Compre" will have to wait a little longer to be crowned 2008 North Zone champions and gives Fatima a window of hope to grab the ever-elusive silverware.
Before that, Chad De Freitas slammed the ball beyond Mucurapo goalkeeper Michael Duff from close range to equalise at 1-1 in the 70th minute.
If that goal was Fatima's faint ray of hope, the late winner would prove a brilliant spark.
But in the 60th minute, Mucurapo seemed to have found the goal that would send them careening into the "Big Five" semi-finals.
Kevin Molino, ever the busybody in midfield, threaded a pass to Terrence Clarke, who made a run to the 18-metre box that left two defenders in his wake and beat Fatima goalie Derron De Freitas to put his team in the lead.
The goal sparked wide applause and cheers from the Mucurapo fans who dominated the stands overlooking the pitch.
They could be forgiven for not knowing the fight that would follow from their neighbouring rivals. That fight had eluded them for most of the 4-3 loss at the hands of Mucurapo the first time the teams met for the season.
In the first half of yesterday's contest, the play was very even, but as half-time closed in, Fatima pushed for the go-ahead goal, and should have got it too but for the diving Duff.
He denied Phillip Coker twice from close range, stopped a De Freitas (C) shot at the near post, and Ross Russell Junior from within the area as well.
But De Freitas (C) found a way through the Mucurapo defence and gave Fatima a way in, and they charged through the gates.
Mucurapo are still expected to take the title even with a bye on Saturday, as they have a match outstanding against lowly Trinity College.
Fatima have a tricky assignment against the inconsistent QRC, who lost 2-0 to St Anthony's College yesterday.
The other zone yet to declare a winner is Tobago, with defending champions Mason Hall stalling Signal Hill Senior Comprehensive's march to victory with their first defeat, a 1-0 loss courtesy of Stephano Wright's goal.
This puts Mason Hall atop the standings with 16 points and one match to play, but Signal Hill have 15 points, and two matches in hand.
Signal Hill, however, must beat Scarborough Secondary twice, both in a re-scheduled fixture, as well as Saturday's encounter, to earn a spot in Tuesday's "Big Five" quarter-finals.
Yesterday's SSFL results:
North Zone
St Anthony's 2 (Dwight Ceballo; Qian Grosvenor) v QRC 0
Malick 2 (Randy Primus 2 [P]) v Trinity 2 (Kendall Sealy; Brian Andrews)
Fatima 2 (Chad De Freitas 70th, Anslem Jackson 90th) v Mucurapo 1 (Terrence Clarke 60th)
East Zone
Toco 0 v Hillview 1 (Darius Peters)
El Dorado 1 (Khavoir Graham) v Trinity (East) 0
San Juan 3 (Jamal Spencer, Hayden John, Jelani Felix) v Arima 1
Central Zone
Waterloo 1 v Presentation (Chag) 0
Chaguanas v Preysal did not play
Marabella 0 v Carapichaima 6 (Philip Wickham 2, Neil Woodruffe 2, Michael Reno 1, o.g.)
South Zone
Naparima 1 v St Benedict's 0
Presentation (S'do) 1 (Travis Francis) v Pleasantville 0
Siparia 3 v Princes Town 1
Tobago Zone
Signal Hill 0 v Mason Hall 1 (Stephano Wright)
Roxborough 3 (Nicholas Samuel 3rd, 7th, Jeremy Orr 85th) v Speyside 3 (Keshawn Samuel 41st, 45th [P]; Jelani Turner 76th)