10 man ‘Gustine’ survive Arima scare; win 5-3 on P.
By: Sheldon Wood (schoolsportcentre.com).
St. Augustine Secondary’s quest for four trophies remains alive....but just barely as they were minutes away from defeat in the Coca-Cola Intercol East Zone semi-final against Arima Secondary.
An 82nd minute equalizer from Zavion Navarro cancelled out Arima’s 42nd minute stunner from Kendes Garcia, to force the match into penalty kicks where ‘Gustine’ triumphed 5-3.
The game started with both teams playing at a breath taking pace. St. Augustine came out the starting blocks the sharper of the two teams, and skipper Jevaughn Vance, Isaiah Meijas and Ishmael Clement maintained possession and threaded through passes with pin point precision.
The opening flurry caused Arima Secondary to give up free kicks in dangerous positions, but they eventually weathered the early St. Augustine storm and created worrying moments on the counter attack.
St. Augustine should have taken the lead in the 21st minute as another Isaiah Meijas free kick led to a goal mouth scramble and a point blank ranged shot from Vernell Ramirez, but Arima goalkeeper Joseph Craig pulled off a remarkable reflex save to keep the scores level.
Just when St. Augustine seemed to be turning the screws, Joel Henry was shown a straight red card for a reckless and unnecessary challenge on Steffan Francis of Arima.
St. Augustine were down to 10 men and Arima sensed that it was their opportunity to push more men in attack.
The tactic paid dividends as Arima got the game's opening goal in the 42nd minute courtesy an emphatic left footed strike from Kendes Garcia.
Garcia eluded three St. Augustine defenders before unleashing a shot low and to the right of a diving Kerron Jones in goal. The goal stunned the normally vociferous St. Augustine fans.
At half time the score remained 1-0 in favor of Arima, who was not only one up on the scoresheet, but with players on the pitch as well. The second half saw St. Augustine come out like a team on a mission.
Coach Michael Grayson chose to bring on Striker Zavion Navarro in place of Vernell Ramirez in what was later to prove a masterful stroke.
St. Augustine came within inches of an equalizer in the 52nd minute when a cleverly worked free kick saw Navarro blast a shot through the wall and off the base of the right post.
As the half wore on the St. Augustine team began to tire. The effects of running with 10 men began to take its toll, and Arima began to exploit gaps in the ‘Gustine’ defense.
Arima nearly doubled their lead in the 67th minute when Kyle Campbell struck a ferocious shot from outside the goal area that Jones in the St. Augustine goal could only push onto the upright and back into play.
Five minutes later Arima again would hit the post, this time a left sided corner found Shobare Hamilton who’s first time shot banged off the right post and then hit goalkeeper Jones who could only watch as the ball rolled out for a corner.
Arima was desperately unlucky, and just when it seemed as though they were hanging on for an unlikely victory, fate twisted yet again.
St. Augustine skipper Jevaughn Vance played a defense splitting pass into the Arima goal area to Zavion Navarro, who turned on the last stopper and shot from an acute angle that goalkeeper Joseph Craig appeared to have covered. Somehow the ball slipped through Craig’s hands and his legs and found its way into the back of the net much to joy of the St. Augustine team and fans.
Arima was gutted. They were eight minutes away from the final. St. Augustine sensed that the goal was a sucker punch to Arima Secondary and continued to press forward.
‘Gustine’ almost pulled off the victory deep into injury time, as Vance again slipped a pass for Navarro, but this time his shot on the turn was well parried by Jones in the Arima goal.
At the end of regulation the score remained 1-1, and it was left to be decided by penalty kicks. St. Augustine kicked first and Kendall Campbell calmly slotted his penalty to the right corner to give his team the lead.
Shobare Hamilton of Arima was not as successful with his attempt, as his penalty was well saved by St. Augustine goalkeeper Kerron Jones who dived full stretch to his left.
Although Arima goalkeeper Joseph Craig got his hands to Brian Hernandez’s penalty, the ball still rolled into the net.
Both teams scored their remaining efforts, and it was left up to St. Augustine skipper Jevaughn Vance to put the shootout beyond the reach of Arima.
Vance coolly walked up and slammed home the winning penalty and then proceeded to peel of his jersey and run towards his teammates.
St. Augustine survived, and will meet El Dorado Secondary in the Coca-Cola East Zone Intercol Final on Friday 13th November at the Larry Gomes stadium. The quest for four trophies continues...
‘El Do’ scrapes past ‘Grande’ 5-3 on penalty kicks.
El Dorado East Secondary edged past a plucky and never say die Sangre Grande team to meet East Zone and Big 5 Champions St. Augustine Secondary in the Coca-Cola Intercol East Zone final on Friday 13th November at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
Sangre Grande’s dream run in the Intercol came to an end, but they should feel proud as they defied the odds to get to the semi-finals, and were ever so close to taking it even further.
The game started at a frenetic pace, and Sangre Grande looked the more threatening of the two teams early on.
‘El Do’ eventually settled down and came within inches of taking the lead when a Daniel Cyrus freekick hit the outside of the right post with ‘Grande’ keeper Keston Aberdeen beaten all ends up.
The let off seemed to push ‘Grande’ back into a defensive shell, and El Dorado continued on the offensive.
‘Grande’ did cause a few nervous moments on the counter attack. In particular Nyron Jones on the right wing was a constant thorn in the side of the El Dorado defense.
El Dorado got the breakthrough in the 23rd minute from Daniel Cyrus, as the striker rose to head the ball powerfully off the post from a Keron Bethelmy left sided free kick.
‘El Do’ continued to press for another goal, but there was no further change in the score line at the half. The second half started with Sangre Grande on the attack as they searched desperately for the equalizer.
Midway in the second half ‘Grande’ created a gilt-edged chance when Stephon Keer got inside the ‘El Do’ left back and chose to pass instead of shoot. Unfortunately for Keer, his pass across the six yard box was cleared by the El Dorado defense.
More drama ensued as moments later El Dorado’s Muhammad Al Maun was given his marching orders as he picked up his second yellow card for dissent.
With the man advantage, Sangre Grande pushed more players into attack, but El Dorado continued to defend resolutely.
Just when the game seemed destined to finish 1-0, Sangre Grande got the bit of luck they were looking for…and to some extent deserved.
A long hopeful ball into the El Dorado goal area was badly misjudged by Christian Edwards in the ‘El Do’ goal and as the ball looped over his head, ‘Grande’s Akeel Alvarez was on spot to tap the ball into the empty net.
The Sangre Grande fans and bench erupted into celebration. The game ended shortly after at 1-1 and the teams had to be separated by penalty kicks. It was in the penalty shootout that Sangre Grande fell just short.
With both teams having scored three penalties each, Harmony Monroe of El Dorado scored his kick low and to the right of the goalkeeper, but Sangre Grande’s Nyron Jones blazed his spot kick over the crossbar.
Keron Bethelmy held his nerve to score the winning penalty in the top right hand corner to give ‘El Do’ the victory, and set a date with St. Augustine Secondary in the final.
