Daniel Jones netted a hat-trick to lead last year’s beaten finalist, St Benedict’s College to a comprehensive 5-0 defeat of Pleasantville Secondary in their Secondary Schools Football League Boys Coca-Cola South Zone semifinal at the Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin on Friday.
Jones got his items in the 25th, 67th, and 71st minute after teammates Malachi Webb and Jaden Grant got the first two goals in the second, and 14th minute respectively.
The match was barely a minute old when Webb scored from an indirect free-kick less than four yards out from goal after referee Kerwin Colley whistled for an intended back pass by defender Jahiem Phillip to goalkeeper Khylon Clarke.
Ten minutes later Grant doubled the lead for last year’s Premier Division champions St Benedict’s when poked a right-footed effort under Clarke after being fed a clever pass by Jeremiah Niles.
Pleasantville managed to stem the flow of the goals through some spirited defending and timely interventions from Clarke until the 25th minute when Jones, who was eventually named the man-of-the-match got his first, eluding Phillip on the left side of the six-yard box before firing past Clarke on his near post to cap an efficient first-half display.
On the resumption, St Benedict’s took a while to get going, but when they did it was Jones again, with another solo effort down the left flank past three Pleasantville challenge after winning the ball to beat Clarke for a 4-0 lead in the 67th.
Four minutes later completed his hat trick when he curled a left-footed free-kick around a four-man wall and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net with Clarke beaten to storm into the zonal final against Presentation College in a repeat of last year’s decider, which will be played at the same venue on Friday, November 24 from 4.15 pm.
This after a decision by the SSFL Executive Committee was made at an emergency meeting to move the final from the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Thursday, November 23 as part of a doubleheader with the North Zone final which will feature, St Anthony’s College, and Queen’s Royal College.
Pres edges Naps 5-4 on penalties
In yesterday’s second semifinal Presentation College got the better of Naparima College 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 score at the end of regulation time.
Presentation dominated the proceedings and had the first attempt of substance off a shortly worked free-kick from Elliot to Cody Cooper in the 22nd minute.
However, Cooper’s fierce right-footed swerving attempt was brilliantly parried away by Naparima custodian Tyrece Romain who dived to his left to keep the match scoreless.
On the stroke of half-time Romain was called into action again to keep out Presentation from going in 1-0 at the interval when he raced off his line to deny Vaughn Clement with a point-blank save after the latter had run onto a clearance from Cooper that took a wicked bounced to beat two Naparima defenders at the top of the 18-yard box.
The second half began in the same way as the first half ended with Romain being the difference between a scoreless encounter and Presentation College being ahead.
First, he flung his body to his right to deny Adah Barclay’s left-footed attempt which was destined for the top left corner of the goal in the 53rd.
And from the resulting corner, the ball dropped and took a nice bounce for Clement but his one-time header was blocked out by the Naparima goalkeeper at full stretch.
In the 77th minute, it was the turn of defender Josiah Cooper to come to the rescue of a subdued Naparima outfit when he lunged bravely at the feet of Barclay’s right-footed effort from about seven yards out to deflect the effort over the bar.
From the corner, Romain was also alert to the danger of keeping the ball from sneaking in at the first post as the game played out to a dogged draw.
In the shoot-out, Romain could not repeat his heroics with Presentation’s Clement, Levi Jones, Maliq Brathwaite, Chaz Forde, and Duhrell Young all scoring while Kanye Francis was the guilty culprit for Naparima, missing their fourth attempt.
The quartet of captain Terrell Rajoon, Josiah Cooper, Jarron Pascall, and Jkwon Bailey scored their attempt for Naparima who were also beaten at the semifinal stage last year, by the same opponents, 1-0 while their lone meeting this season in the Premier Division ended goalless.
Yesterday’s Results
South Zone:
St Benedict’s College 5 (Daniel Jones 25th, 67th, 71st, Malachi Webb 2nd, Jaden Grant 14th) vs Pleasantville Sec 0
Naparima College 0 vs Presentation College 0 - Presentation College won 5-4 on penalty-kicks
Today’s matches
Tobago Zone semifinal
Bishop’s High vs Signal Hill Sec @ Black Rock Rec. Grd, 3.30 pm
Zonal Finals
Monday, November 20
Central Zone: Chaguanas North Sec vs Miracle Ministries SEc @ Edinburgh 500 Rec. Grd, 3.30 pm
Tuesday, November 21
East Zone:
San Juan North Sec vs Arima North Sec @ Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, 3.30 pm
Wednesday, November 22
Tobago Zone:
Speyside High vs Bishop’s High/Signal Hill winner @ Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, 3.30 pm
Thursday, November 23
North Zone:
St Anthony’s College vs Queen’s Royal College @ Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 4.15 pm
Friday, November 24:
St Benedict’s College vs Naparima College/Presentation College @ Mahaica Sporting Complex, Pt Fortin .4.15 pm
SOURCE: T&T Guardian
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