Mucurapo do North double.
By: Garth Wattley (Express).
Rain or shine, Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive seem determined to make this their special year.
Yesterday, on familiar ground on Mucurapo Road, they completed the North Zone League and InterCol double for the second time in their history, with a 5-2 overpowering of St Anthony's College in the RBTT InterCol zonal final.
Compre's snatching of the league title from neighbours Fatima College last month had come via a dramatic 2-2 draw against Trinity College at Moka.
Yesterday, the team captained by Kevin Molino did another prance in the mud and more, after taking the "Tigers" apart.
Both sides deserved a better arena to play their final. It seemed a step back in time for a major schools decider to be contested on a school ground and not at one of the national stadiums.
Perhaps it was the venue then which kept away the kind of crowd that would normally witness a deciding match between two schools known for their positive football.
Paltry audience or not, steady rain on the already soft ground or not, the Mucurapo boys made sure they got trophy number two out of what they hope will be three this season.
They did it through the compelling attacking quartet of skipper Molino, Johan Peltier, Mutar Taylor and Terrance Clarke. All four got on the scoresheet as the plucky Tigers fought in vain to play catch-up.
Only two of the game's seven goals came in the first half when the surface was still relatively firm.
The slim Molino started the scoring, gliding through the St Anthony's defence on a through pass, side-stepping goalkeeper Jamal Francois and slotting the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net past a sliding defender.
That was the kind of slick football which Compre produced often through their "big four".
Peltier, Taylor and Clarke combined for the second item, the best of the match.
Peltier passed diagonally to Taylor on the right and his pin-point cross was met nicely by Clarke who outjumped his marker to bury a header into the net.
St Anthony's needed an early goal in the second half to give themselves a chance of getting level. But, instead, with the rain coming down, Taylor put them further behind in the 52nd minute. He stepped past one defender and, from a tight angle, beat Francois at his near post from the left side.
The game seemed over then. But Fatima Ground has seen some high-scoring games of drama more than once this season. And the St Anthony's boys made sure the spectators didn't get bored by pulling back two goals in 22 minutes, first through Travis Joseph and then, with 18 minutes to go, another from Qian Grovesnor.
Grovesnor, a skilfull wide player in the best St Anthony's tradition, converted on the rebound his penalty kick which had been saved by Compre custodian Michael Duff.
The game seemed back in the balance at 3-2. But the Tigers had to keep pressing and that left them vulnerable at the back. So Taylor was able to pounce again in the 79th minute when Francois failed to hold a shot from Peltier and hit the roof of the net from virtually on the goalline.
A miserable afternoon for the beleaguered Francois was complete six minutes later when the diminutive keeper hesitated to go for a left-side free kick and eventually Peltier hit home the loose ball.
Not since 2004 have Compre had such a dominant season in the North. But national titles have proved as elusive as zonal ones have been plentiful. Having already lost the national Big Five to Naparima College, they hope persistence pays off this InterCol.
