Shiva makes up crucial ground with Moruga thrashing
By Nigel Simon and Andrew Gioannetti (T&T Guardian)
Two goals on either side of the half from Sevon Diaz helped secure a 7-1 result for the second-placed defending champion Shiva Boys over Moruga Secondary, to keep its title hopes alive in the BGTT/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League, yesterday.
Diaz’s four goal tally (29th, 34th, 61st and 85th), combined with efforts from Qwesi Weston (12th) Nathaniel Garcia (55th) and Shaquille Williams (88th) put Shiva Boys on 25 points from 10 matches, five less than leaders Presentation College San Fernando, which was on a bye.
Despite the result, “Pres” remains favourite to become the new zonal winner, having already played all but two matches, and claiming victory in each one of them, thus far.
The top two teams in the zone will be back in action on Saturday, in what is expecting to be a potential title decider. A win or draw will hand Presentation the title, while a win for Shiva would keep going into the final match-day, when it is set to face St Benedict’s College.
Even if Presentation loses to Shiva on Saturday, a win or draw on the final match day, when it faces Pleasantville Secondary (Presentation won the first leg 1-0).
Meanwhile, up North, the division’s key clash between St Anthony’s College and Fatima was aborted due to heavy showers. The “Tigers” looks likely to retain its zonal title saw its 2-1 lead come to waste when the referee blew off the match. Second placed East Mucurapo took advantage and handed QRC its worst defeat of the season via a 8-0 scoreline. Talented midfielder Aaqil Campbell scored a hat-trick.
It was in stark contrast to the narrow 2-1 win which East Mucurapo took in the first leg. Mucurapo leading 2-0 at the half, returned to demolish the “Royalians” and began with a flurry of four goals in the first eight minutes of the second half. The win put Mucurapo three points behind St Anthony’s, with both teams on 10 matches played, and two more to complete.
In the East Zone, leaders Arima North (24 points) moved to within two points of claiming the title with two matches left after edging San Juan North 1-0 with a 62nd minute strike from national Under-20 striker Marcus Gomez at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar despite playing the entire second half with ten men after Neveal Hackshaw was red-carded in the 40th minute.
The win carried the “Dial Dynamos” of Arima North to 24 points from ten matches, three ahead of St Augustine which blanked last year’s winner El Dorado East 2-0 with goals from Aikim Andrews, in the 20th and Jordan Devenish, in the 53rd third.
At the bottom of the standings, El Dorado West whipped host Toco 4-2 thanks to a Kussell Chairman hat-trick to all but secure its stay in the top flight for yet another season while Toco was demoted with the loss.
The Central Zone seems set for a final day decider between top the two, defending champion Carapichaima East (21 points) and Chaguanas North (20) after both won by 11-0 margins over Presentation College of Chaguanas and Gasparillo, respectively while in the other match Tabaquite trounced Couva West 3-0. For Carapichaima, Shaquille Holder scored his fourth hat-trick of the campaign to carry his tally to 27 while teammate Joshua Eneau also scored four in the lopsided win at Presentation. At Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Ainsley County also banged four for Chaguanas North in its hammering of Gasparillo.
Over in Tobago, Speyside and Mason Hall both made use of front-runner Scarborough’s off day with vitals wins over Roxborough and Signal Hill
Speyside led by a brace from Jayon Warrick outplayed Roxborough 4-2 at Settlement to move to ten points from six matches, one behind Scarborough which has a match in hand while Mason Hall’s Brandon Joseph netted to earn his team a 1-0 triumph at Signal Hill for third on the table with nine points.
Yesterday’s BGTT/First Citizens SSFL zonal results:
Results North
East Mucurapo 8 (Aaqil Campbell 12th, 35th, 70th, Kadeem Hutchinson 46th, Keeno Allick 48th, Kevin Lewis 50th, Akeem Roach 53rd, Tafari Williams 67th) v QRC 0
Diego Martin North 1 v Trinity 0
St Anthony’s v Fatima- Did Not Play
South
Shiva 7 (Qwesi Weston 12th, Shevon Diaz 29th, 34th, 61st, 85th, Nathaniel Garcia 55th, Shaquille Williams 88th) v Moruga 1
Naparima 5 v Princes Town 1 (Kiel Ribiero 35th pen)
St Benedict’s v Pleasantville- Did Not Play
East:
El Do West 4 (Kurdelle Chairman 3, Stefan Lewis) vs Toco 2 (Shawkelle Ragoo, Shaquille Edwards)
Arima North 1 (Marcus Gomes 62nd) vs San Juan North 0
St Augsutine 2 (Aikim Andrews 20th, Jordan Devenish 53rd) vs El Do East 0
Central:
Carapichaima East 11 ( Shaquille Holder 17th, 22nd, 42nd, 82nd, Joshua Eneau 19th, 25th, 28th, 50th, Akeem James 72nd, 87th, Treverson Calliste 69th) vs Presentation 0
Tabaquite 3 (Andre Gonzales 8th, 88th, Chazaq Arnold 70th) vs Couva West 0
Chaguanas North 11 (Ainsley County 2nd, 20th, 21st, 49th, Jonathan Charles 17th, 34th, Deon O’Garro 60th, 64th, Jaron Humphrey 42nd, Isaiah Nichols 76th, Jerren Hall 89th) vs Gasparillo
Tobago:
Mason Hall 1 (Brandon Joseph 15th) vs Signal Hill 0
Speyside 4 (Jayon Warrick 2, Khalil Robley, Brandon Benjamin) vs Roxborough 2 (Terron Nimblett, Weah Adams)