St Augustine take SSFL Big Five crown

At just after 6.15 pm yesterday, the “Green Machine” danced away with the BG Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Big Five title following a 2-0 win over their San Fernando opponents at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

The standard of play on the evening did not match the occasion. But, in the stands, the musical battle was fierce. Presentation were first off the marks.

“Boom-boom boom-boom-boom, boom-boom boom-boom-boom…”

Their offering resonated through the covered stands peopled by just over 3,000 students from both schools. The Presentation drums held centre court until, nearly halfway through the opening 45 minutes, the lively St Augustine rhythm section sparked to life.

It was a disorienting experience for spectators positioned between the two sets of supporters as contrasting tempos vied with each other. On the field, the Big Five final seemed to follow a similar format.

Two minutes into the contest, Presentation midfielder Donelly Gopicharan gave notice that the San Fernando squad were not uncomfortable in their eastern surroundings as he stopped and then cheekily rolled the ball through the legs of St Augustine midfielder Stefon Pierre.

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St Augustine take BGTT Big 5 title.
By: Sheldon Wood (Schoolsportcentre.com).

Coach Michael Grayson is half way to his goal of all 4 domestic trophies this season as St. Augustine Secondary defeated Presentation College San Fernando 2-0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

The victory meant that Grayson and his St. Augustine team copped their third Big Five title in seven years.

The scene was set at the Larry Gomes Stadium and the conditions were ideal for football. The covered area was full, with the majority of the support for St. Augustine as was to be expected with the game being staged in the East.

St. Augustine settled the quicker of the two teams, with skipper Jevaughn Vance looking to stamp his authority in the match early.

'Pres' eventually got into rhythm and looked more purposeful in their build up play, but could not break down an unyielding St. Augustine defense.

It was 'Gustine' that had the first real chance of the first half when a Jevaughn Vance freekick from the top of the goal area was well held by 'Pres' goalkeeper Ramsaroop.

Presentation College did get the ball in the back of the net, but the referee was on spot to blow for an infringement on the St. Augustine goalkeeper Kerron Jones.

The best chance of the half fell to St. Augustine midfielder Ishmael Clement who found himself on the end of a flicked on header from a long throw. Clement timed his run through the 'Pres' defense to perfection, but his finish left a lot to be desired and he blasted the ball over bar.

The half ended goal less with 'Pres' having the edge in terms of ball possession, but not being able to convert that possession into real goal scoring opportunities.

St. Augustine got a dream start to the second half as they took the lead in the third minute. Ishmael Clement atoned for his miss in the first half with a right footed rocket from distance that found the top left hand corner of the goal, beating 'Pres' keeper Ramsaroop all ends up.

Chances came few and far between for the remainder of the second half as both teams defenses maintained shape on the rare occasion a forward challenged.

'Gustine' did get the insurance second goal five minutes from the end.

 Aeion Charles headed downwards a  left sided cross straight into the stride of Zavion Navarro, who blasted the ball into the roof of the net to ice the game.

The celebrations began in the stands as the St. Augustine fans knew that the Big Five title was theirs, and the dream of four trophies is very much alive.

Congratulations to St. Augustine Secondary 2009 BGTT Big 5 Champions!

Gustine reign again.
By: Kern De Freitas (T&T Express).

"Gustine! Gustine!"

That familiar refrain will remain in the minds of Presentation College San Fernando for some time after they were flattened 2-0 by the rumbling "Green Machine" in yesterday's BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League Big Five final at Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

In a second half performance that contrasted the opening period, St Augustine roared to life with goals by Ishmael Clement and substitute Zavion Navarro.

Presentation College were in the match until Clement found the breakthrough with a beauty of a right side blast that beat even the formidable grasp of "Pres" goalkeeper Terrence Ramsaroop, who saved his team in the semi-final against Carapichaima East Secondary last Friday, but could not do the same against a well-oiled St Augustine attack.

The opening half was definitely interesting, but littered with rookie mistakes in attack on both sides accounting for the 0-0 scoreline at the break.

Said St Augustine coach Michael Grayson after the final whistle: "Basically they were getting to the ball faster than us (in the first half). As a matter of fact they settled down much faster than us, which was surprising to me. They looked as if they were hustling the game more than we were."

Surprisingly, Pres were not only the first to settle, but they embarked on an early assault on the Green Machine defence and could have gone ahead with some more enterprising ideas. Their ploy seemed to be to unsettle the "home" side, but they needed better accuracy to get the early goal they craved.

Dinelle Lopez, with St Augustine's first real attempt on 16 minutes, had Ramsaroop save a beautiful free kick and, at the other end, Pres's Malcolm Nedd was denied twice.

Clement and Green Machine skipper Jevaughn Vance both muffed great chances to put St Augustine ahead, Clement scooping over from five metres out and Vance hitting wide with Ramsaroop at his mercy.

The two, however, would combine to put St Augustine ahead a few minutes after the interval. As in the semi-final against St Mary's College, the "Machine", having warmed up sufficiently in the first half, roared powerfully in the second.

Their new gusto and confidence saw Vance slip the ball to Clement on the right in the 49th and he obliged with a blast that gave Ramsaroop no chance, nestling in his far post.

The goal lifted the entire St Augustine crowd to their feet, chanting to pulsating music that made it hard to hear anything else. It brought the sense of inevitability with it that few could ignore, including the quiet Pres support.

Pres, trying to get back in it, had Travis Francis shoot wide in the 66th and captain Wesley John headed over from close range five minutes later.

But St Augustine had the last word in this affair in the 86th. Theon James, again moving from the right wing to the left in the second half, swung into the box and the ball was headed down for substitute Zavion Navarro, who slammed home from close range.

Two minutes of stoppage time must have been torture for Pres, who surrendered the match meekly, despite a strong first half showing that could have seen them the celebrating side, if only they had turned in the early chances provided.

The East kings now rule all in the National League and are next headed towards the InterCol, hoping for the sweep this season.

"The next two titles are on the way," Grayson said. "(We'll) take it one game at a time."