Naps claim Big-Four title

The competition was played in a round-robin format, with the South Zone school and recently crowned Premier Division champion, claiming the Big-Four title having conceded one goal less than St Anthony’s after three matches.

The match was played at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, with Naparima starting at full pace, scoring two goals within the opening six minutes, before allowing St Anthony’s back into the match.

Akinola Gregory, who entered the match in top form, opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a solo effort, mere moments before “Naps” doubled up from national Under-20 forward Nicholas Dillon in the sixth.

Less than two minutes St Anthony’s got an immediately reply with a scrambled goal, finished by Kwesi Allen, the team’s leading goal scorer, who got the equaliser in the dying moments of the match.
St anthony’s needed a win given its inferior goal difference to Naparima, but would again finish second best to star-studded South Zone school.

At the end of the new-look Big-Four round-robin competition, Naparima and St Anthony’s finished first and second, respectively, with seven points each while San Juan North placed third with a 2-1 home win over Tobago Championship winner, Speyside Secondary.

The next course of action for the four teams is InterCol action in their respective zones, starting next week. On Tuesday, the last team to join next year’s Premier Division competition will be decided when Princes Town West and Trinity College meet in the Championship Division Big-Eight third-place playoff.

Tomorrow, QRC and Fyzabad, both of which have already been promoted, will meet in the final a day later.

Teams

Naparima College: 25.Akeem Awong (GK); 2.Nicholas Thomas, 19.Stephon Smith, 4.Amritt Gildharry (captain), 18.Ocean Gayah; 6.Martieon Watson, 12.Jarred Dass (29.Jeremiah Kezar 64th), 11.Shane Sandy; 34.Jabari Mitchell, 7.Akinola Gregory (27.Kierron Mason 75th); 20.Nicholas Dillon (3.Khris Stroud 87th).

Unused substitutes: 1.Darriel Kurjah (GK), 8.Michael Basdeo, 10.Justin Sadoo, 15.Jordan Samuel.

Coach: Angus Eve

St Anthony’s College: 1.Carlton Alfonso (GK); 2.Jared Flament, 23.Mawasi Charles (captain), 4.Isaiah McIntyre, 18.Simon Joseph; 6.Leon Whyle, 7.Denzel Woods (5.Keston Herrera 83rd); 11.Adriel Kerr (9.Darius Olliveira 58th), 8.Jules Lee (19.Andrew Rullow 48th), 25.Shakeem Patrick; 10.Kwesi Allen.

Unused substitutes: 22.Oba Augustin (GK), 15.Shem Clauzel, 16.Brent Joel, 17.Raheem Borde.

Coach: Nigel Grosvenor

Referee: Cecile Hinds

Results & Fixtures

Naparima 2 (Akinola Gregory 5th, Nicholas Dillon 6th) vs St Anthony’s 2 (Kwesi Allen 8th, 88th)

San Juan North 2 vs Speyside Secondary 1

Tomorrow

Championship Big-Eight final

QRC vs Fyzabad, venue to be announced

Tuesday

Championship third-place playoff

Princes Town West vs Trinity College, Hasely Crawford Stadium, 5 pm

RELATED NEWS

Naps pip Tigers for Big 4 title despite draw.
By Kern De Freitas (Express).

Naparima College once more showed themselves to be the best team in the BG T&T/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League when they added the Big Four title to their season winnings yesterday.

They were given a stern test by St Anthony’s College at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, but held on for a 2-2 draw to secure the silverware.

San Juan Secondary also earned a consolation Big Four win with a 2-1 result over Speyside Secondary at Bourg Mulatresse in San Juan.

Akinola Gregory and Nicholas Dillon tapped in efforts early on to leave the “Tigers” trailing, but the Westmoorings boys failed to put in several chances on offer after pulling back a quick one and paid the price. They hit the net again deep in second half stoppage time, but Naparima won the Big Four on goal difference.

It looked set to be an end-to-end thriller in the opening minutes. Three goals were fired in within the first ten minutes. St Anthony’s early intent meant little as they were staring into a 2-0 hole after seven minutes.

Their weakness against the through ball was purposefully exploited by Naps. In the fifth, a defensive mix-up allowed Naparima to sneak through after Gregory was played in. His marker never tackled, and Gregory sent Tigers goalkeeper Carlton Alfonso the wrong way with a soft left-footed attempt.

Naps were celebrating two minutes later, this time for Nicholas Dillon as he romped past three defenders, and then slipped the ball between a fourth defender and Alfonso, who mixed up their lines trying to quell the threat.

The “hosts” had little time to celebrate this time. St Anthony’s limited the damage in yet another minute, Denzel Woods bundling in from close range after Naparima failed to clear a header off a Kwesi Allen corner.

The chances did not stop there, but there were no more goals before halftime, although the Tigers came closest when Shakeem Patrick fluffed a perfect chance after a three-on-two break.

Naps, though, looked superior, holding their shape well and were much more accurate with their passing and determined in defence.

Jabari Mitchell also twice gave Alfonso scares, and the ‘keeper had to punch one over to preserve the scoreline.

St Anthony’s came charging out after their halftime pep talk, and had three good chances go a-begging in the ten minutes that followed the break. Substitute Andrew Rullow and fellow striker Allen both forced mistakes from the Naps defence, and a corner kick also had the latter nervous.

But they had a hard time getting that final shot on goal. When they did in the 65th, Rullow hit a one-on-one chance directly at custodian Akeem Awong.

For all their qualities, Naparima went a long stretch in the second half without meaningful attacking moves.

Three times Allen could have levelled, but he missed two close range looks after Awong brilliantly kept out a blast from the forward on the left.

Allen eventually managed the equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time, which was followed by a scuffle for the ball between the teams. It was too late for a winner anyway, and left Naparima celebrating their second title of the season, having already won the Premier Division.