Naparima take South InterCol title.
By: Reshma Ragoonath & Vinode Mamcghan.[/size]
Naparima College is the new champions of RBTT Southern InterCol Football. The San Fernando boys left their chanting fans happy as they ran away 2-0 winners over Vessigny at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium.
A crowd of over 7,000 saw Naparima dominating and its fans were at the edge of their seats for the entire first half. But many chances were thrown away.
Danakh Jimdar, Renatto Ramlochan and Lyon Samuel all missed clear cut opportunities to take their team into the lead.
It was a goalless first half.
Naparima coach Kurtwyn Baird must have had some stern words for his charges at the break, as Naps returned a different side in the second half.
But resistance was strong from Vessigny ,whose game improved.
In the first minute of the second half, Naps should have taken the lead through Adisa Connell,who shot wide from close up.
However, the persistent pressure from Naps paid off in the 69th minute, when Connell headed home from a perfectly taken free kick by talented skipper Javed Mohammed.
Sixteen minutes later, it was the skipper himself taking the honours, as he netted with a powerful strike from the right side of the penalty box to leave Vessigny goalkeeper Sherlon Swan spread-eagled to seal the match.
Baird praised his players for their performance, saying:
“The players must really enjoy this success this afternoon. They were the ones doing all the hard work and they deserve to win this match.
“Vessigny played very good football, especially in the second half, but were beaten by the better team on the day.
“We are now moving on full steam ahead with our 17-match unbeaten streak, said coach Baird”
Naparima has already bagged the South Zone league title, as well as the National Big-5 crown.
Now the Big Five champs, will go after the national double when they play in the national quarter-finals on Saturday against the Central champions at Manny Ramjohn. The Central final will be played this afternoon at the Ato Boldon Stadium from 4.15pm. Also today, neighbours Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive and Fatima College will contest the North final.
Fatima put champs out InterCol.
By: Kern De Freitas.[/size]
The Secondary Schools Football League will see new National Intercol champions this season.
Fatima College ensured the St Anthony's College "Tigers" would not repeat their 2004 feat when they conquered their opponents by a 4-2 scoreline in an exciting contest yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium to move on to the North Zone final of the 2005 RBTT Intercol competition.
Fatima did not get off to the greatest of starts, as, although the contest was even in the first half, they fell behind in the 24th minute. Lester Peltier deceived two defenders to work his way into the Fatima penalty area and passed to Stefan St Louis. He calmly controlled and slotted past Adrian Foncette in the Fatima goal.
But Fatima's response was swift and decisive, as they levelled the scores rather fortuitously, Makesi Lewis striking for goal on the right. With St Anthony's 'keeper Bevon Francois committed to his dive, the ball took a deflection and headed to his left and into the goal.
In the 38th, Fatima took the lead. Lewis was again involved as his shot from beyond the 18-metre area was blocked at a defender, only to drop at the feet of Devon Morris, who slammed home from the right to make it 2-1.
In the second half, The Tigers started better, but were denied thanks to two fine saves from Foncette. At the other end, Francois was not so lucky, as Chad De Freitas was allowed room, and blasted a Marvin James cross into the roof of his net in the 63rd.
Solid left-back Brendon Boucaud then cleared an Emmanuel Joseph shot off the line, but could do nothing to stop Lewis in the 79th, as he received a delicate long ball with time and space. He side-stepped the advancing Francois and slotted home at the far post.
St Anthony's struck back six minutes from time when Manuel Rezende headed past Foncette from a corner. But that was of little consequence to St Anthony's Mucurapo Road opponents, who had additional reason to celebrate a spot in the North final at the final whistle. They had eliminated the Tigers, the three-time defending champions from the National InterCol for the first time in four years.
In the second matrch of the doubleheader last evening, Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive earned the right to meet Fatima when they beat Malick Secondary Comprehensive 4-0.
RBTT South zone intercol score
Naparima 2 (Adisa Connell 69th, Javed Mohammed 87th) vs Vessigny 0.
Fatima 4 vs St Anthony's 2.
Mucurapo 4 vs Malick 0.
Malick, Providence 1-1.
By: Kwame Williams (Guardian).[/size]
A 20th-minute goal by Khadija Gabriel gained Malick Senior Comprehensive a one-all draw against North Zone league queens Providence Girls’ Secondary yesterday, in a quarterfinal of the Girls Secondary Schools Football League InterCol competition.
The match, which was postponed from last Thursday due to the death of Malick player Tracey Lindsay, started more than an hour behind schedule, as the Boys Under-13 North InterCol final between Tranquillity and St Anthony’s, also carded for the Hasely Crawford Stadium training ground yesterday, had to be decided by penalty kicks.
"Tranquil” won the shootout 4-3.
Prior to the kick-off, Malick, who was beaten 4-1 and 4-0 by Providence earlier in the season, repeatedly chanted the name of fallen team-mate, saying: “We doing this for Tracey.”
It took Malick less than five minutes to get the equaliser, Gabriel running on to a diagonal pass from midfielder Ornella Patrong on the left and calmly placing the ball to the right of onrushing Providence goalie, Nadia Nunes.
