Fatima win 'war'
By Garth Wattley (Express).
A war of attrition between North and South was fought down at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium yesterday afternoon. It stretched into the evening. And at the extended end, the boys from the North, Fatima College were the ones left standing.
Their 4-3 spot kick shootout win over South champions Naparima College took Fatima into the 2005 final of RBTT InterCol.
Skipper Machel James' accurate final kick ensured that the North InterCol champions reached their first national final in some 24 years. Ironically, they will play the side who beat them in that 1981 final, St Augustine Secondary Comprehensive.
Perhaps it was that knowledge of history which drove James and his players on yesterday.
The dominant side when in possession, Fatima nevertheless had to show InterCol's never-say-die spirit to keep their trophy dream alive.
Only one minute of regulation time was left with Fatima undeservedly trailing 1-0, when unmarked substitute Sherron Joseph collected a loose ball inside the 18-metre box and drilled his low shot past Naparima goalkeeper Leston Shade.
In a match where dogged defence rather than sparkling attack had been the order of the day, the nature of the goal was a surprise. It capped what had, by the game's standard, been a hectic last eight minutes which had begun with the opening goal scored by another substitute, Naparima's Jayson Joseph.
Javed Mohammed, Naps' key man in midfield, had fed him a left side cross which the unmarked Joseph (J) first headed to Fatima keeper Adrian Foncette. He couldn't hold, and from the rebound, Joseph blasted the ball into the net.
At that moment, it seemed as if Naps had done it again. All season, they had played unbeaten, managing always to fight a rearguard and get the goal that mattered. And yesterday, they were forced to do so again against a Fatima side physically superior and more aggressive. In the first half, Naps were confined to two long-range free kicks from Mohammed, who otherwise had been invisible.
But for all their possession, Fatima could not create the clear-cut chance to make the difference.
It took the Naps goal and the southerners' wavering concentration to get Fatima going.
And in extra time they should have put the game away, save for substitute Yohance Williams' missing of two gilt-edge chances. The second, which he blasted overbars with only Shade facing him and time to stop and contemplate, seemed like it could come back to haunt him and his side.
But Williams' skipper made sure in the shootout, that he and his mates would have no nightmares. On to the final.
Fatima does it at death.
T&T Guardian Reports.[/size]
Fatima College of Port-of-Spain earned the right to contest the final of the National RBTT Inter-Col competition against St Augustine on Saturday when they defeated Naparima College of San Fernando 4-3 on penalty kicks in the second semi-final yesterday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.
Machel James emerged hero of the gripping encounter when he smashed the final of the five spot kicks past Naparima goalkeeper Leston Shade to give his team a well-deserved win and a place in the final for the first time in the last decade.
This was after the teams battled to 1-1 draw at the end of full time and 20 minutes of extra time.
The Fatima outfit could have easily won the encounter during the first half of extra time, when striker Johanson Williams missed two easy chances with only Shade to beat.
Earlier, little Jason Joseph sent the Naparima fans in a frenzy after he put his team in the lead with just nine minutes of regulation time remaining.
Joseph met a right-side cross from midfielder Javed Mohammed with a well-directed header.
However, Fatima goalkeeper Adron Foncette did well to parry the shot. Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, the ball bounced into the path of Joseph whose follow up shot found the net.
Minutes earlier Joseph had an opportunity to put his team ahead but muffed an easy chance after he was sent through by Mohammed.
His goal, however, coming with just nine minutes to play, would have left Naparima believing that they were home and dry.
But Fatima, with nothing to lose, introduced Sheron Joseph to add some power to their strike force.
With “Naps” holding on for dear life, the Port-of-Spain team threw everything at them and were rewarded in the 89th minute when the substitute Joseph got the equaliser.
Extra time found a tired group of youngsters although Fatima should have scored twice through Yohanson Williams, who failed to convert after being set free by his midfielders.
With only Shade to beat, he struck his first chance outside and the second over the bar.
As expected, the action was end-to-end from the opening whistle.
The first half was equally shared with both teams trying to take control of the middle. The “Naps” defence absorbed a tremendous amount of pressure before referee Noel Bynoe blew the final whistle.
For Fatima Marvin James, Machel James, Emmanuel Joseph and Yohanson Williams scored, while Naparima’s goalscorers were Adisa Cornel, Javed Mohammed and Danika Jhindar.
In the other semifinal on Tuesday, a 36th minute strike from Daniel Joseph earned the “Green Machine” a 1-0 win against San Juan Senior Comprehensive at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
The final will be played on Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium starting at 4.30 pm.
