El Dorado East Secondary toppled Arima North Secondary from the top of the BG T&T/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League East Zone yesterday with a 3-0 win at Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar.
The El Dorado "Blue Thunder" roared loudly for a 1-0 lead by half-time and wrapped up the match thanks to a Shaquille Bertrand hat-trick as the striker doubled up in the second period.
The match was not a one-sided affair, but "El Do" were better finishers, although both teams missed a plethora of chances. In fact, Bertrand seemed to be the only player with his scoring boots on.
Arima, coming off a 13-0 dismantling of Barataria South Secondary, were understandably confident in the search for the opener. They had the first few attacks, but their misses up front and lapses in defence conspired to hurt them all afternoon.
One such lapse led to the opener, as no one closed down Bertrand when he was fed a long ball from Shakir Cole down the right side. He was allowed to collect in the box and aimed for Joseph Craig's far post and the Arima goalkeeper got his hands to the ball, which still somehow trickled through and over the line.
Arima looked the better team in open play in the first half. But that final pass or shot was really disappointing. It allowed El Dorado to counter-attack quickly, and with Arima's defence deep and practically always in a straight line, the Blue Thunder's wingers were able to exploit the angles and earn one-on-one plays with Craig, several of which they spurned.
Arima were unlucky, though, to have Darius Rawlins' side-footer rebound off the near post when fed by Kern Roberts on the left.
They also had another chance which Kwame Hazel put overbar, while at the other end Jameel Forde's attempted scissors-kick soared far and wide before the break.
Marcus Gomez tried to bring Arima back into the match with a pair of searching runs following the resumption, but again the final touch was the letdown each time.
The match was kept interesting with El Dorado throwing away the insurance goal more than once. Dwight Quintero had two such misses with just Craig to beat and a supporting striker, as did Forde.
Bertrand, though, did not make the same mistakes. He collected a long ball from the diminutive but composed figure of Kevon Bethelmy, outmuscled his marker and looped over the 'keeper from just inside the left penalty area into the far post.
Arima began to wilt thereafter, with Gomez in right midfield the only real threat, but he could not do it all himself.
Bertand deservedly got his hat-trick in second half stoppage time for what ended as a comfortable victory.
Yesterday's SSFL results:
North Zone
East Mucurapo Sec 2 v Trinity College 1
Malick Secondary 1 v Fatima College 3
QRC 3 St Mary's 4
East Zone
Barataria South Sec 0 v San Juan North Sec 16
El Dorado East Sec 3 v Arima North Sec 0
Trinity College East 0 v Toco Sec 0
South Zone
Pleasantville 3 v Vessigny 1
Shiva Boys Hindu College 1 v St Benedict's 0
Central Zone
Waterloo Secondary 1 v Couva West Sec 5
Presentation College (Chag) 1 v Tabaquite Sec 4
Carapichaima East Sec v Gasparillo Sec (postponed)
Tobago Zone
Pentecostal Light & Life 0 v Scarborough Sec 2
Signal Hill Sec 2 v Mason Hall Sec 1
16