Mucurapo travel well ...drub Carapichaima.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).[/size]
Home advantage usually counts for a lot in a BGTT Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) "Big Five" quarterfinal.
It meant little, though, to Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive, as they travelled to the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva to meet Carapichaima Senior Comprehen-sive and came away with a resounding 5-1 victory.
SSFL North Zone champions Mucurapo were clear favourites going into the match. Carapichaima, though, hoped they could pull off the upset and extend their unbeaten streak. But four unanswered goals in the first half put paid to that notion.
Skipper Kevon Piper gave Mucurapo the lead in the 14th minute from the penalty spot, beating Carapichaima 'keeper Michael Renaud low to his left.
That saw the previously confident Central Zone champs drop their intensity. Their lack of attention to Mucurapo winger Nicholas Valentine in the 22nd allowed him enough space to cross from the right flank and Ricardo Peltier directed the ball into the net.
Peltier got his second eight minutes later. Again, sluggish defending let him in and he beat Renaud in a one-on-one contest.
Peltier's hat-trick and Mucurapo's fourth came in the 45th, as Piper weaved his way into the area, slotting past Renaud across the goal for his teammate to tap in.
It seemed more of the same for a talented, but clearly overwhelmed Carapichaima outfit, when Al Muhammed got his name on the scoresheet in the 55th.
But the Central side gave a much better performance in the second session, beginning with a goal from Matthew Quashie in the 58th, a low free kick that passed through the legs of Mucurapo goalie Denzil Carabon.
Neither team could find the net again in the final 45 minutes.
Mucurapo's hard work up front, though, put them into the semi-finals, where they will now face Naparima College from 4 p.m. Saturday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.
The other semi-final takes place on Thursday, when East Zone winners St Augustine travel to the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago to take on Scarborough Secondary, again from 4 p.m.
Big Five quarterfinal result:
Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive 5 (Kevon Piper 14th, Ricardo Peltier 22nd, 30th, 45th, Al Muhammed 55th) v Carapichaima 1 (Matthew Quashie 58th)
