Fatima, ‘Compre’ in north final.
By: Kwame Williams (Guardian).[/size]
Sheldon Bateau and Jean Luc Rochford ensured that Fatima will defend its RBTT North Zone Intercol title this coming Friday, scoring a goal each in the reigning national champ’s 2-0 semifinal win over Malick, yesterday.
Bateau struck in the 10th minute, while Rochford found the net in the 64th.
Playing on a soggy Hasely Crawford Stadium pitch, neither team offered much by way of entertaining or constructive football. The match was instead littered with fouls, rough-house play and off-the-ball scrimmages, most of which were missed by the officials.
Malick though was all about going forward, while the normally attack-minded Fatima, seemed content to soak up the pressure and hit its opponent on the counter.
The opening stages of the encounter saw both teams struggling to find their rhythm, but a moment of magic from Bateau gave the boys in blue and gold an early advantage.
The national Under-16 defender left Malick goalie Nicholas Alexander with no chance, planting an indirect free-kick in the top left corner of the net after striker Jevon Morris was fouled just outside the 18-yard box. Fatima maintained the lead going into the break.
A more determined-looking Malick had its rival on the back foot for the majority of the second half. Keron Ross, easily Malick’s best player on the day, almost got an equaliser when he beat Fatima goalie Adrian Foncette with a dipping free-kick from almost the exact spot on which Bateau scored.
However, his effort came crashing off the crossbar and the rebound was quickly cleared away from danger.
Unfortunately, the Barataria outfit were unable to make the pressure count and were made to pay by Rochford, who latched on to a diagonal pass from striker Sherron Joseph in the box and fired past Alexander.
He nearly got a second ten minutes before the end, but hit straight into the arms of Alexander after being cleverly put through by forward Stephen Knox.
Fatima will take on Mucurapo in the final, after the zonal league champ edged QRC 1-0 in the second match of the double-header.
Speedy striker Ricardo Peltier hit the target in the 44th minute from well outside the box, unleashing a low right-foot drive which was too hot handle for QRC custodian Yannick Duchaussee.
QRC will feel aggrieved after not being awarded a penalty kick prior to Peltier’s tally when striker Jerrel Britto was clearly hauled down inside the box.
But the “Royalians” were never really able to trouble Mucurapo keeper Denzil Carabon and can thank Duchaussee for keeping the score-line respectable, as he kept out several good attempts.
Fatima, Mucurapo set up InterCol re-match.
By: Garth Wattley (Express).[/size]
Like Scarborough Secondary and Presentation College Chaguanas before them, Fatima College have earned the right to defend their zonal title in RBTT InterCol.
Yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Fatima, also the reigning national champions, had little trouble in repelling the challenge of Malick Secondary Comprehensive 2-0 in a North Zone semi-final.
They will now meet neighbours Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive in Friday's final in what will be a repeat of last season's North decider.
In the second match of the Stadium doubleheader, "Compre" got past Queen's Royal College 1-0.
Slick passing and skilful, Mucurapo had that extra bit of quality which the Royalians could not match. But in a livelier contest than the first game, Ricardo Peltier's coolly-taken long-range effort was enough to give Compre the win.
There was great self-assurance about the way-with the Royalians massing in defence and blocking off any easy passing options-Peltier picked his spot from well outside the penalty area and spanked a low shot between goalkeeper Yannick Duchasee and the right upright.
The goal came at a crucial moment, a minute before half time was due, for it undid the concerted defensive effort of the Royalians, who were hoping to hit their opponents on the break.
Their plan foiled, QRC were unable to switch to a more profitable Plan B in the second period, although they might feel, with a certain amount of conviction, that they were denied a penalty in the 17th minute of the first half when Jerrel Britto appeared to be pulled to the ground when on his way to goal.
There was no such controversy in the early match, though.
In the fairly recent past, the Malick assignment would have been fraught with much greater difficulty for Fatima.
But in these times, the threat from Coconut Drive is not so potent, the "Proud to be Malick" aura of a side to be reckoned with, even feared, is now gone, at least for the moment. It showed on the field.
Malick had less than a handful of clear-cut, or even half-decent chances in a game in which a goal in each half from Sheldon Bateau (tenth minute) and Jean-Luc Rochford (64th) was enough for Fatima.
But the defending champs, enjoying a much-belated revival in their football fortunes themselves, also did barely more than was necessary.
In fact, Bateau's superbly-struck free-kick from a central position just outside the 18-metre box was the only genuine chance of the first half.
Following a two-touch movement involving two others, the big defender put an emphatic finishing thump to a well-worked spot kick, with a drive into the right hand vee of goalkeeper Nicholas Alexander's net.
Malick just had to do better in the second period to get anything out of the game.
They did somewhat after the introduction of the lively Kevin Hernandez just nine minutes into the second period.
He had nothing to do, though, with the moment that probably sealed the afternoon for both sides.
Like their opponents in the first half, Malick got a free-kick just outside the box in a central position. Keron Ross took it and drove hard-against the crossbar. It was just the 56th minute. The ball bounced away to safety for Fatima. And gone was the lifeline Malick needed.
Passage to the final and the national qualifying series was confirmed a mere eight minutes later when Malick struggled to break up a Fatima counter-attack and Rochford, one of two free Fatima attackers inside the penalty area, had the easy task of hitting into the net.
Onto the final!
Malick Senior Comprehensive captain Robert Primus, left, tackles Jevon Morlis of Fatima College in the first RBTT North Zone InterCol semi-final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, yesterday. Fatima won 2-0 and will meet Mucurapo, who got past QRC in yesterday's second game, in the North Zone final.
