East zone kicks off.
By: Rachael Thompson-King.
When St Augustine Senior Comprehensive and El Dorado Senior Comprehensive met last year, opening match the scoreline read 2-2 but this season’s opening was completely different as the St Augustine “green machine” eased away with a 3-0 victory.
The East Zone of the British Gas Secondary Schools Football League kicked off yesterday, at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
The opening match of the double-header was also 3-0 in favour of the zonal champion San Juan Secondary over Malabar Composite.
St Augustine, the runners-up in the league competition last year, got goals from Ryan O’Neil, Akiel Joseph and Anthony Moses.
Teams looked to be going in at the half scoreless but O’Neil headed in a cross from Immanuel Alexander on the right, to give St Augustine a 1-0 advantage.
The green machine’s second item came off the right foot of Joseph (57th), 12 minutes after the start of the second session.
Stylish midfielder Elton John attempted a shot at goal but the El Dorado goalkeeper Akeem Seetahal got to it and knocked it away. Unfortunately he pushed it into the path of Joseph, who hit a bullet pass Seetahal.
Moses, who was substituted in for Daniel Joseph, late in the second half, put in St Augustine’s final goal in the 82nd minute.
In the other match, Jonathon Romain netted a pair of goals to see San Juan past Malabar.
Romain ignited the scoring for San Juan with a goal in the 13th minute. However, that was all the scoring done in the first session as the scores remained 1-0.
Five minutes into second-half of play, Malabar captain Nuru Muhammed handled the ball in the box.
San Juan Elijah Manners stepped up and took the penalty with ease to pus his team 2-0 ahead.
Sadly, Kwasi Carrera did not learn from his captain, and he too handled the ball in the box.
Kevin Eastman had the responsibility of taking the penalty but he missed, luckily for San Juan Romain was there to finish the job.
Although losing its opening match coach Gerald Pollonais was not too upset.
“For our first match this season we didn’t do too badly. The guys did well for much of the match but those two penalties hurt us,” said Pollonais.
“All we can do now is move on because we have two tough matches coming up, El Dorado on Monday and St Augustine on Wednesday and we can only get better.”
East Zone
San Juan 3 (Jonathon Romain 13th, 66th, Elijah Manners 50th) vs Malabar 0.
St Augustine 3 (Ryan O’Neil 45th, Akiel Joseph 57th, Anthony Moses 82nd) vs El Dorado 0.
South Zone
St Benedict’s 1 vs Presentation 4
Naparima 2 (Dravid Mohammed, Nigel Wright) vs Vessigny 1 (Kareem Galthazar).
Presentation demolish Benedicts 4-1.
By: Mervyn Stewart (Express).
Presentation College San Fernando sounded a warning to their South Zone opponents when they easily disposed of St Benedict's College 4-1 as BGTT Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) action in the Southland got underway at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium yesterday.
Double strikes by Akil Marshall and substitute Robert Alves earned "Pres" their first scalp since returning to Championship Division football for the 2006 SSFL season.
Presentation got on the scoresheet as early as the second minute, when Marshall dribbled defender Christopher George and gently placed it past an advancing Jeremy Tenia in St Benedict's goal.
The boys in blue were having the better of the exchanges by some margin and it was no surprise when Marshall doubled up in the 40th. He was brought down in the area and converted the spot kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Five minutes after the resumption, St Benedict's reduced the lead. Avio Applewhite brought down Troy Moses inside the 18-metre box. Striker Muhagir Ar-Razi netted to make the score 2-1.
Second half substitute Alves made it 3-1 on 70 minutes, driving past Tenia's outstretched hands. Two minutes later, he got his second item, latching onto a cross from Jerwin Lee and directing it into the St Benedict's net.
Also in the South, Naparima stopped Vessigny 2-1 in the second match of the double-header at the Marabella stadium, thanks to first half goals by Javed Mohammed and Nigel Wright.
Yesterday's SSFL scores:
East Zone [/b]
San Juan Sec Comp 3 (Jonathan Romain 2, Elijah Manners) v Malabar 0
St Augustine Sec Comp 3 (Ryan O'Neil 45th, Akil Joseph 53rd, Anthony Moses 82nd) v El Dorado Sec Comp 0
South Zone
Presentation College 4 (Akil Marshall 2nd, 40th, Robert Alves 70th, 72nd) v St Benedict's College 1 (Muhagir Ar-Razi 50th)
Naparima College 2 (Javed Mohammed, Nigel Wright) v Vessigny Goverment Sec (Karym Balthazar 73rd)
Today's matches:
North Zone
St Mary's College vs Trinity College, St Mary's Ground, 3.45 p.m.
East Zone
Toco Composite vs Arima Snr Comp, Toco, 3.45 p.m.
South Zone
Fyzabad Composite vs Moruga Composite, Fyzabad, 3.45 p.m.
Tobago Zone
Bishop's High School vs Roxborough Composite, Shaw Park, 3 p.m.
Scarborough Secondary vs Signal Hill Snr Comp, Shaw Park, 5 p.m.