Mucurapo win North, Fatima win not enough.
By Mark Pouchet (Express).
"Mu-cu-ra-po! Mu-cu-ra-po!"
The match did not involve them but Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive's presence was felt during and after yesterday's BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League rescheduled North Zone game between Fatima and QRC.
Needing to win by seven clear goals to clinch the zonal title, Fatima could only muster a 4-2 victory over some feisty opponents.
And so Mucurapo have lifted the North Zone crown.
For the match, Mucurapo players arrived in full maroon colours minutes before the start and occupied front row seats in the upstairs pavilion.
And the boys from Mucurapo Road were in fact the Royalians' most vocal supporters.
Their voices were most vociferous eight minutes from the interval.
The Fatima domination, which included 12 corners in the first half, had gone unanswered. And when QRC midfielder Kojo Salandy tapped in from a Royalian counter-attack when Fatima goalkeeper Adrian Foncette fumbled, it came totally against the run of play.
The Mucurapo players were in a celebratory uproar.
They were even more boisterous in the 39th mintue when QRC recovered their lead following Emmanuel Jospeh''s equaliser for Fatima.
Another fumble by Foncette from QRC striker Franz Husbands's shot gave Kisean Worrell an open goal to blast home for a 2-1 half-time lead.
A bit shell-shocked, things weren't going as wanted for Fatima. But they restored some hope soon after the restart.
It came from the third goalkeeping error of the game when the frenetic QRC custodian Jesse Fullerton failed to collect Marin's low shot and Joseph stepped in to turn into the QRC net.
But Fatima still could not turn their possession into a superior scoreline for the ensuing 20 minutes before Marvin James converted a penalty.
They were given another fright when a foul on QRC substitute Keron Doldron led to a penalty that was heavily cheered by Mucurapo. But Kareem Richardson's spot kick was saved by Foncette and his long clearance led to Lewis' goal and a 4-2 score four minutes from regulation.
It was a little too late. And Mucurapo started their chanting that carried them into Serpentine Road.
Signal Hill storm into Big Five 'semis'
By Kern De Freitas (Express).
Presentation College Chaguanas became the first casualty of the 2005 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League National League finals when they succumbed to Tobago champions Signal Hill by a 2-0 margin at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva yesterday.
And Signal Hill are heaping praises on Kareem Yearwood, whose double made the difference between a sombre trip back to the sister isle and a place in the "Big Five" semis.
Pres had the first opportunity to take the lead in the third minute, but Jesse Stewart's blast from outside the area whizzed over the crossbar to the amusement of the moderate, pro-Presentation crowd.
In the second period, Signal Hill began to settle into the game and gave Pres some nervous moments, Yearwood heading wide in the 54th. Kerron Davidson also found himself in a good position in the six-metre box a minute later, but shot wide.
It took until the 79th minute to break the deadlock, as Yearwood collected a long pass in midield and held off two defenders until Cudjoe advanced to the edge of the area. He then cut to the left past the custodian and slotted home calmly.
Yearwood's persistence again bore fruit, as he slotted home a minute into stoppage time in similar fashion to the first goal to add insult to the Central champs' injury, and send Signal Hill into the Big Five semis.
Also, Vessigny finished second in the South Zone after they hammered Mayaro 4-0 in Vessigny. Khalid Commissiong found the back of the net in the 12th minute before Tsion Thomas put the match beyond Mayaro’s reach with strikes in the 28th and 60th. Kareem Balthazar completed the triumph for Vessigny with an 89th minute item.
