Leaders Fatima trounce Tranquil 10-0.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).Second-placed Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive extended their lead over Malick Secondary Senior Comprehensive to four points when they earned a 2-0 victory over St Anthony's College on their BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League visit to Westmoorings.
Richard Roy and Khaleem Highland spoiled the "Tigers" party in what must have been a very frustrating match for coach Nigel Grovesnor and his charges, reflective in several bookings-including two red cards-for the home team.
Exchanges were even for the first half of the encounter, St Anthony's playing without star striker Akil De Freitas, who missed the match due to suspension.
Neither team could turn their chances into goals, as Lester Peltier and Jonathan Glenn for the "Tigers" wasted opportinities, while Roy and Akim Armstrong also missed the target narrowly for Mucurapo in the opening session.
The best chance of the half came when, on a muddy surface due to consistent rain, St Anthony's custodian Bevon Francois, on his goalline, could not hold a slippery long-range freekick cleanly.
But he grabbed the rebound headed his way by Armstrong to keep the scores level at 0-0 at the half.
In the second period, St Anthony's lost defender Andre Sebro four minutes after the restart, but they started the brighter of the teams, Peltier forcing a diving one-handed save from Mucurapo's Denzil Cazabon, and then missing an open shot from close range.
Things got worse for the Tigers when Roy found an opening and slotted home from close range in the 59th, and then in the 66th Francois denied Roy again, punching a scorcher wide.
Cazabon was again called on to keep Peltier out with a close-up effort, and then a Micah Lewis freekick went just wide of Cazabon's upright.
As the game wound down, ten-man St Anthony's, on the counter-attack, were stretched at the back and in the first minute of stoppage time, Highland squeezed the ball through the home team's defence for Mucurapo's second.
Peltier was sent off just before the final whistle, adding insult to the Tigers' injury as the game ended 2-0 in Mucurapo's favour, putting them four points adrift of Malick on 15, and just three behind North Zone leaders Fatima, who had an emphatic 10-0 win over "Tranquil" at their Mucurapo Road ground yesterday. In another fixture, QRC and Malick played to a 1-1 draw at QRC ground, St Clair.
Naps edge ahead.
By: Garth Wattley (Express).Jamal Pierre's goal, perfectly delivered right at the end of the first half, was as opportune for his Naparima College team as Vessigny Secondary's first loss of the season was untimely for the boys from deeper south.
The contrasting afternoons for the two schools at the top of the South Zone in the Championship Division of the BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League changed the landscape somewhat.
Naparima's 1-0 win over old rivals St Benedict's College, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, has given them a one-point lead, one game into the second round of League action.
Vessigny's 2-1 defeat to last year's zonal Intercol champions Fyzabad Composite came courtesy of a double from Bevon Bass. And Bass' work dropped Vessigny from first to third as Princes Town Senior Comprehensive got past Mayaro Composite 1-0 yesterday to move into second, one point behind Naparima, Kirlan Gomez’ was on target for P Town.
At Manny Ramjohn yesterday, the game was also about one goal. And very little else.
Jan Steadman, ex-St Benedict's star player and former Naparima coach, was on the Benedict's bench in what is his second stint in that post, playing his second game against the side he had made into national and Intercol champs a combined three times in the last six years.
But he would have seen better games, especially from Benedict's.
Naparima were more deserving of the three points if only because they were slightly better at creating chances.
Their best work came in the first half when they had about five decent opportunities to take the lead. Javed Mohammed, Naps' midfield prompter and national youth player, had at least two of them which he spoiled with wayward shooting.
Benedict's goalkeeper Kareem Grey was also responsible for keeping the scores level early on when he parried away a Renato Ramlochan snap-shot.
Grey, though, would have been disappointed to have been beaten at his near post by Pierre.
But the credit must go to the Naps player. He left off his more defensive duties, robbed namesake Jamal Faustin on the right side, moved from midfield into the 18-metre box, shifted past defender Orin Branker and then, with his left foot, fired past Grey. It was the worst possible time to give up a goal.
And in a sterile, unenterprising second half, for which the Naparima instrumentalists in the main stand could do little to lift the tempo on the field, Steadman's new troops also could not help themselves.
San Juan go clear.
By: Mark Pouchet (Express).San Juan Secondary went clear atop the BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League East Zone standings when they trounced fourth-placed Hillview College 4-1 at Bourg Mulatresse yesterday.
San Juan boast a 100 per cent record after winning their seventh match on the trot and are currently on 21 points.
Striker Anthony Guppy, who notched a hat-trick in last Wednesday's 6-1 thrashing of defending zonal champs St Augustine, made yet another three-goal haul to power his school to victory against Hillview, who are being coached by former El Dorado Senior Comprehensive assistant coach John Henry.
Second-placed Blue Thunder lost ground on the sizzling-hot zonal leaders when they were held to a draw by defending champions 'Gustine' at Warren Street yesterday. Eldo have amassed 14 points in their campaign to date, while the Green Machine remained on third with 11 points.
Vessigny beaten; Fatima, S/Juan keep on winning.
T&T Newsday Reports.Vessigny lost their unbeaten run in the South Zone while Fatima and San Juan continued their winning ways in the respective North and East Zones of the British Gas Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) yesterday.
The shock result of the day came at Fyzabad, where the hosts registered their first win of the season with a 2-1 win versus overnight leaders Vessigny.
And Naparima took full advantage of Vessigny’s misfortunes, as they regained top spot in the South following a 1-0 triumph over St Benedict’s at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
Princes Town jumped to second place after Kirlan Gomez’ 68th minute strike gave them at 1-0 win at home against Mayaro.
Fatima recorded their sixth victory in the North Zone, mauling Tranquillity 10-0 at the Fatima Ground, with a beaver-trick from Makesi Lewis (30th, 34th, 55th and 64th), a hat-trick from Sheron Joseph (33rd, 71st and 90th), two from Paul Lawrence (14th and 58th) and one from Emmanuel Joseph (78th).
Mucurapo moved to second spot following a 2-0 victory against St Anthony’s at Westmoor-ings while QRC were held to a 1-1 draw at home versus Malick.
Anthony Guppy netted a hat-trick while Elijah Manners added one as San Juan whipped Hillview 4-1 at Bourg Mulatresse, their seventh win in a row, while Arima, the "Dial Dynamos," trounced St George’s 5-1 at the Arima Municipal Stadium.
In the other East Zone contest, St Augustine and El Dorado battled to a 1-1 draw at St Augustine, with Kendall Alleyne putting the visiting "Blue Thunder" in front in the 47th while Elton John replied for the "Green Machine" in the 62nd.
Presentation Chaguanas and Carapichaima each registered their fourth straight victory in the Central Zone.
Presentation got hat-tricks from Dion Lewis and Trent Lougheed as they slaughtered Union Claxton Bay 9-0 at the Presentation Ground. Junior Williams added two and Marvin Manswell one for Pres.
Goals from Dwayne Spencer and Keron Smith gave Carapichaima a 2-1 win over Chaguanas 2-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, with Kiedel Glasgow notching Chagua-nas’ lone item.
And Tabaquite earned their first point of the season as they held Marabella to a 1-1 draw at home, with Ancil Santana on target for Tabaquite.
At the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Scarborough trounced Roxborough 6-0 in the first match of a Tobago Zone double-header. Up to press time, no score was available in the Signal Hill-Bishop’s fixture.
Who wears the nicest out-fit in the SSFL.SSFL Standings.
