Elijah’s goal manners Naps.
By: Vinode Mamchan (Guardian).[/size]
It took a very special footballer to make the difference between San Juan Secondary and Naparima College yesterday. In the end, Elijah Manners the captain lifted the 2007 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League Big-Five title at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.
Manners scored two goals in the second half to take his team to the title with a 3-2 victory, in front of a crowd estimated around 5,000. The San Juan captain was the star of the show after a strange first half which included two own goals.
In the seventh minute of the match before many fans could have settled in their seats, the eastern team took the lead after a shot on goal was re-directed into his own goal by Naparima’s Isiah Smith. This gave San Juan the early advantage and they completely dominated the first 15 minutes of the match.
Naps, however, battled to prevent a further strike and in the 20th minute, they were gifted with an own goal.
Goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel had pulled down a lob and with Naparima’s Cory Cyrus closing in, he slipped on the ball which trickled into his own net.
Soon after the resumption, Jayson Joseph could have given Naps the lead as he ran down the right flank, only to have his shot blocked by a San Juan defender. In the 69th minute the Naps’ Cyrus was thwarted by keeper Samuel who parried away his attempt.
At this point it was Naps all the way and in the 73rd minute against the run of play, Manners began his show, first driving a low shot to the right of keeper Curtis Julien to give his team a 2-1 lead.
Naps, however kept on fighting and was rewarded with a goal after a defensive blunder in the 81st minute between defender Jamal Spencer and Samuel which allowed Cyrus to tap the ball into an open net for a 2-2 scoreline.
With the minutes ticking away both teams went in search of the winner, as the action shifted from end to end.
Manners was able to come up with the winner with two minutes left, battling two defenders and making room to drive past a hapless Julien, that sparked wild scenes of celebration among the San Juan fans who made the long trek to San Fernando. The win for San Juan was sweet revenge for its 1-0 loss to Naps in the 2005 final and also marked its second national league triumph, and first since 1983 for the reigning national Inter-Col champions.
East Zone champs lift SSFL 'Big Five' title.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).[/size]
Having manners can be a wonderful thing.
Doubly so for San Juan Secondary Comprehensive, who had a pair of late goals from skipper Elijah Manners to eke out a 3-2 victory over Naparima College and earn his team the 2007 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League "Big Five" title yesterday.
The teams were locked at 1-1 at half-time at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella after a pair of own goals. But midfielder Manners beat "Naps" custodian Curtis Julien twice in 14 minutes.
Despite Cory Cyrus handing the South Zone champs a lifeline in between, San Juan did enough to keep the title in the East, after St Augustine Secondary Comprehensive won it last year.
San Juan were off to a good start in the encounter, scoring in the seventh minute. But they had Naps defender Isaiah Smith to thank, his attempt at blocking a shot on goal deflecting the ball past Julien.
But San Juan repaid the favour, as goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel unfortunately put the ball into his own net trying to keep out a cross.
In the second period, the life seemed to be petering out of the match somewhat, until Manners struck in the 73rd.
Jessel Arthur collected a throw in and squared to the San Juan captain at the edge of the 18-metre box and Manners calmly picked his spot and drove beneath a diving Julien.
San Juan looked good for the win until Cyrus took full advantage of a defensive blunder, sticking out a foot between defender Jamal Spencer and the onrushing Samuel to flick the ball into goal.
The home crowd's lusty celebrations were soon muted in the 87th. Manners showed his class in attack, holding off challenges by four defenders, before thumping a low shot to Julien's right to the delight of San Juan's vociferous supporters.
Midfielder Shahdon Winchester tried to save Naps with a stab at goal in the 90th, which Samuel parried wide.
Another national title for Naps was not to be this time, as the final whistle confirmed. Sometimes playing with heart just isn't enough.
As the San Juan supporters celebrated, the dejected Naparima fans applauded their team for a valiant effort.
A middle-aged San Juan supporter showed his joy by jumping in front of television cameras, shouting: "I have to be on TV, boy! I done spend all my money. This is the right time!"
Undoubtedly, after all the years without a national league title, it certainly was for San Juan.
Yesterday's News
Naps, San Juan contest 'Big Five' Final.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).[/size]
Almost seven weeks of BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League action comes down to 90 minutes as South Zone champions Naparima College take on their East Zone counterparts, San Juan Secondary Comprehensive, in today's SSFL "Big Five" Final at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.
For Naparima, a repeat of their national league win two years ago would be the perfect start to the knock out season, with the 2007 RBTT InterCol set to kick off on Thursday.
And for San Juan, a chance at revenge and the elusive title they so crave is just a victory away.
Today's match-up is a repeat of the 2005 final, when "Naps" escaped with a 1-0 victory thanks to a headed goal late in the opening period at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
Current San Juan skipper Elijah Manners, playing the role of striker, could not save his team from finishing runners-up then.
But as he showed in last Friday's 2-0 beating of Mason Hall Secondary, the Tobago Zone winners, Manners has grown in stature and ability and could prove even more of a thorn against his Southern rivals.
Attacking mid-fielder Shahdon Winchester, who proved valuable in Naps' 3-0 humbling of St Anthony's College Tigers in last week's other Big Five semi-final, was also in the 2005 match and is expected to play a much bigger role this time around.
Both teams are strong in defence, having conceded just five goals apiece to date, but where San Juan may have the edge is the variety in their striking force and their potency in front of goal.
The defending InterCol champs have managed to find the net in all but one of their matches this season, when they lost out to East Zone rivals, the St Augustine Secondary Comprehensive "Green Machine", by a 1-0 score-line.
According to Naps coach Shawn Cooper, who is preaching development to the young players, his team is not about to change their game plan for today's final.
"As you know, we depend on a solid defence," Cooper explained to the Express yesterday, "but we have a little more attacking prowess in 2007, in relation to that team in 2005.
"I believe we are playing better football [now] than back then. The guys now, and the school now is starting to understand our style of play."
San Juan's goal is a little less complex, manager Phillip Fraser declared yesterday.
"I'm hoping for a turn around. I'm hoping we can turn the tables around from that 2005 defeat. I don't think it will make any difference. We have a job to do, [and] we're going out there to go and get the job done."
Cooper offered "no predictions" for this afternoon's encounter, but said his team are not afraid of San Juan.
"...We are not Mason Hall. And as their coach said, they are accustomed to the big times. We're accustomed to the big times also. The last time the two schools met, they [San Juan] came out victorious 2-0. We have our game plan, I'm sure they will have theirs and, on the day, whoever executes, well, they will win."
Fraser is confident, though, that his team can match Naps stride for stride.
"Traditionally, they normally have a strong defence, but that isn't going to change our mindset that we have a defence that will be willing to match Naps style of play."
St Augustine lift SSFL Girls' title.
T&T Express Reports.[/size]
T&TEC Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) East Zone girls' champions St Augustine Senior Comprehensive secured their spot in the National Final with a 2-0 victory over Debe High in the Trinidad leg at Fatima Ground, Mucurapo Road yesterday. A first half goal from Avanell Isaac and a second half strike from Debbie Persad were enough for the "Green Machine" girls as they chase their second trophy for the season.
St Augustine had an unbeaten run in the East Zone, which helped them secure the league title and, after yesterday's win, they are on track to replicate their 2006 successes, which included the league and InterCol titles. St Augustine will now face Tobago winners Signal Hill Composite in Thursday's National Final at a venue to be announced.
