Zonal Leagues

Promoted 1st FC Santa Rosa claimed the first title at stake in this season’s Emerald Apartments & Plaza-sponsored Eastern Football Association competition on Sunday. This after Santa Rosa edged M&M Real Maracas 2-1 in the final of Vernon Bain Challenge Trophy at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya. Santa Rosa had substitute Christopher Young to thank for lifting the trophy when he latched onto a defence-splitting pass from national Under-17 captain Duane Muckett to score the winner.

Eagles clinched a place in the Under-18 Division of the Big-Four competition of the Central Football Association in the protest room. After bowing 2-3 to Flamingo last week, Eagles lodged a protest on the grounds that its opponents played unregistered players. The protest was upheld.

Former national futsal player Dale Simon and his club Real Maracas were the major winners when the Emerald Apartments & Plaza sponsored Eastern Football Association held its 2010 end-of-season awards ceremony at the Ken Galt Hall, Dr Joao Havelange, Centre of Excellence on Saturday.

A lone goal from Yusuff Perry was enough for Maloney FC to edge WASA 1-0 in the Eastern Football Association Emerald Apartments and Plaza Cup at Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, on Saturday. Perry got his goal in the 48th minute after which goalkeeper Jason Parris came up big for the Maloney team, denying WASA’s Kerron Smith and Kendall Alleyne on no fewer than three occasions, to keep his team’s slim lead intact until the final whistle. For the victory, Maloney collected $4,500 while WASA got $1,500.

The Eastern Football Association 2011 season will kick off with a “Champions Big Four Challenge” at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on May 22.

Maple will know tomorrow if it will contest the Big Four in the Northern Football Association. The Maplenites will have to beat Police outright in their final Group “A” match on Paragon ground, Queen’s Park Savannah, to join winner FC-1 as the two qualifiers from the group. Kick off is 4 pm. A win, and a defeat for FC-1 against RSSR, will ensure Maple first place in the standings. However, if Maple fails in its bid, Dathea will fill the runner-up spot, having collected three easy points in a default win over the University of Southern Caribbean on Sunday.

Youth players from the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU) are invited for screening sessions tomorrow, at the Cumana Recreation Ground.

Malabar FC will go into its final match against Tunapuna Titans on Tuesday, needing only a point to claim the Emerald Apartments & Plaza sponsored Eastern Football Association First Division “Big Four” title.This after Malabar blanked 1st FC Santa Rosa 3-0 in its second round match on Thursday, to improve to maximum six points, three ahead of Titans and Santa Rosa. David Power got Malabar going with a 20th minute opener before Hayden De Verteuil (39th) and Keston Alexander (62nd) added a goal each to seal the valuable three points. Next they meet Titans which outgunned Southeastern Connection 6-3, led by two goals each from Richard Seethal and Tahir Liverpool after trailing 3-0.