A Richard Roy last gasp strike earned Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive a come-from behind 3-2 win over St Anthony’s College in the second round of the North Zone British Gas Secondary Schools Football League yesterday.
With the win, “Compre” as Mucurapo is commonly called, moved to maximum six points, the same as neighbours Fatima College, who defeated St Mary’s College 3-0 at Serpentine Road, St Clair.
At Mucurapo, three-time defending zonal champions, St Anthony’s took the game to their host, but like they did in their opener against Malick, failed to capitalise on their chances.
After coming close on at least three occasions through Lestier Peltier (twice) and Kevon Neaves, St Anthony’s finally grabbed the lead in the 35th minute, thanks to Neaves.
From just on top the left side of the 18-yard box, Kwesi Thomas rolled a short pass to Neaves’, whose left footed blast, found its way through a four-man wall and into the top right hand corner of the goal past the stretched finger tips of goalkeeper Nigel Thomas.
Five minutes before the half, Neaves doubled the lead for the “Tigers”, this time with his right foot, after a weak headed clearance from Mucurapo’s Cyrano Glen fell at his feet inside the six-yard box.
Irvin Rullow pulled a goal back for Mucurapo seconds before the half-time whistle when he was on spot to tap home into an open net, after goalkeeper Keegan Davidson could only parry a shot from Keshawn Hunte.
On the resumption, Compre started the more purposeful of both teams on the hard surface as their domination seemed a matter of minutes before turning into a goal.
However St Anthony’s, through some brave goalkeeping from Davidson and dogged defense by Yohance Marshall and Brendon Boucaud, kept them at bay.
After a few close missed, Mucurapo finally drew level through some luck.
Hunte’s left footed shot headed wide of the target, was turned into his own goal by St Anthony’s defender Andre Ferreira.
The goal seemed to take the wind of the tiring St Anthony’s defenders as Compre surged forward through Roy, Keshawn Hunte, and Glen, to a lesser extent.
But led by the influential play of Neaves and Kwesi Thomas in midfield, St Anthony’s clawed it ways back into the match as they created openings of their own for Peltier and substitute Kevin Sutton.
However both players failed to find the target and with the seconds ticking away, Roy made them pay darely.
Hunte picked out an unmarked Roy at the top of the 18-yard box, and he wasted little time, as he unleashed a right footed volley which bounced hard into the surface through a crowd of players and into the net.
Yesterday’s SSFL Results:
Mucurapo SC 3 (Irvin Rullow, Keshawn Hunte, Richard Roy) v St Anthony's College 2 (Kevon Neaves 2).
St Mary's College 0 v Fatima College 3 (Chad De Freitas, Stephon St Louis, Machel James).
QRC 3 v Morvant Laventille 1.
Malick SC 3 v Tranquillity Secondary 0.
Fyzabad 1 (Andy Alves) vs St Benedict’s 1 (Akiel Belfon).
Naparima 8 (Kern Robinson, Andrew Bailey, Deverne Wallace, Kezi Lara, Adisa Connel 2, Kern Peters, Dezi Lara) vs Mayaro 1 (Carlton Roberts).
Vessigny 1 (Tsion Thomas) vs Princes Town SC 0.
Moruga 3 vs Pleasantville 0.
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