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Post by Admin on Sept 14, 2022 18:10:52 GMT
Naps begin Prem Div defence DANGER IN THE AREA: Presentation College San Fernando captain Caleb Boyce, left, tries to force the ball past Naparima College goalkeeper Dejon Collingwood during the Tiger Tanks Cup Secondary Schools Football League season opener on Friday at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. Presentation eventually won the Cup via a spot kick shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. —Photo: Dexter Philip Having lost the season-opening Tiger Tanks Cup to rivals Presentation College San Fernando, Naparima College will hope that that match in their legs will lead to a smooth start to their Secondary Schools Football league Premier Division title defence this afternoon. The first league action in three years kicks off with matches in both groups A and B of the competition. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals, and with teams only playing each other once, a good start could prove to be a big advantage. In Group A, Naparima, under new coach Travis Mulraine will visit St Augustine Secondary today, in what will also be an SFFL head-coaching debut for the “Green Machine’s” Tacuma Jones, who is replacing Trevor Spicer on the bench. It took the players of “Naps” and “Pres” some time to settle down in their match on Friday and Jones says of his squad:“It’s the first time that they are on this stage. Nerves will be kind of high. It will be challenging for them because they have never played at this level.” He adds: “We are not at the physical level of the Premier Division. Based on that, my team is more of a technical team than physical.” Also in the group today, Fatima College mark their return to the Premier Division with a match against St Benedict’s College at the Moruga Multi-purpose Youth and Sport Facility; Carapichaima East Secondary host Speyside High School and Pleasantville Secondary take on St Anthony’s College at the Manny Ramjohn training ground. In Group B, Presentation open their campaign on the road against Trinity College East; San Juan North Secondary host Queen’s Royal College, Malick Secondary travel to the Africa ground in Enterprise to play Chaguanas North Secondary and East Mucurapo play newcomers Morgua Secondary on Fatima Ground. All matches begin at 4 p.m. PREMIER DIVISION ROUND ONE: GROUP A: 4 p.m. - St Augustine Secondary vs Naparima College, St Augustine Secondary 4 p.m. - Carapichaima East Secondary vs Speyside High School, Ato Boldon Stadium 4 p.m. - St Benedict’s College vs Fatima College, Moruga Multipurpose Youth and Sport Facility 4 p.m. - Pleasantville Secondary vs St. Anthony’s College, Manny Ramjohn training ground GROUP B: 4 p.m. - San Juan North Secondary vs Queen’s Royal College, San Juan North 4 p.m. - Chaguanas North Secondary vs Malick Secondary, Africa ground, Enterprise 4 p.m. - East Mucurapo vs Moruga, Fatima College 4 p.m. - Trinity College East vs Presentation College Sando, Trinity College East
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Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2022 13:48:38 GMT
Naparima tramples ‘Green Machine’ 9-1 to begin defence
by Nigel Simon Yesterday Thu Sep 15 2022 Naparima College striker Isreal Joseph, left, shoots and scores while under pressure from a St Augustine Secondary defender during the Secondary Schools Football League match at the St Augustine Secondary School yesterday in St Augustine. Naparima College won 9-1. (Photo by Daniel Prentice) Daniel Prentice Omari Campbell and Nathaniel O’Garro scored two goals each to lead four-time winners and defending champions Naparima College to an emphatic 9-1 come-from-behind win over St Augustine Secondary to kick off the defence of their title in the Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division at Warner Street, St Augustine, on Wednesday. Coming on the heels of their 3-2 penalty-kick loss to long-time rival and current Coca-Cola Inter-Col holders Presentation College of San Fernando in the SSFL Tiger Tanks Cup season opener on Friday at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, first-year coach Travis Mulraine, a former national player was keen for his Naparima players to bounce back in their Group A opener. However, against the run of play, it was the “Green Machine” of St Augustine, under the guidance of another first-year coach Tacuma Jones, who took a surprise lead within six minutes of the start after some clumsy defending by the visitors. But that turned out to be the lone bright spot for St Augustine on the afternoon as Campbell and O’Garro got braces while Kanye Francis, Andres France, Israel Joseph, and Terrell Rajoon were all on target along with an own goal to cap off the win. Speaking after the lopsided contest Mulraine said it was nice to see that his players were able to rebound and get the win away from home after the disappointment of losing the Tiger Tank Cup clash. “The defeat against Presentation came like a blessing in disguise to us and young players have a tendency to become complacent and tasting defeat early in the season was a good wake-up call. “Even today in the win, it was evident that again we saw some complacency in our game with players wanting to run too much with the ball, and that is something we have to curb, going forward,” said Mulraine. In the other matches in Group A, Speyside High School got a double from Jarlon Toppin in the 13th and 77th while Reyes Gray, Lenox Eastman, and Milz Johnson added one each in 5-0 beating of hosts Carapichaima East Secondary at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva; St Anthony’s College got first-half strikes from Joshua Millette and Mordicai Forde to blank Pleasantville Secondary 2-0 at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Training Field, Marabella, and St Benedict’s College got a second-half strike from Ephraim Brown to earn a 1-1 draw with travelling Fatima College who had taken the lead via Khiba Romany at the Moruga Multipurpose Sport and Youth Facility. Yesterday’s results Naparima College 9 (Omari Campbell 2, Nathaniel O’Garro 2, Kanye Francis, Andres France, Israel Joseph, Terrell Rajoon, own goal) vs St Augustine Sec 1 (Jordan Ferdinand) Speyside High 5 (Reyes Gray 3rd, Jarlon Toppin 13th, 77th, Lenox Eastman 84th, Milz Johnson 90th) vs Carapichaima East Sec. 0 Fatima College 1 (Khiba Romany) vs St Benedict’s College 1 (Ephraim Brown) St Anthony’s College 2 (Joshua Millette, Mordacia Forde) vs Pleasantville Sec 0 SATURDAY’S MATCHES Group A St Benedict’s College vs Carapichaima East Sec @ Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva Fatima College vs Naparima College @ Fatima Grounds, Mucurapo Road Speyside High School vs St Anthony’s College @ Speyside St Augustine Secondary vs P)leasantville Secondary @ St Augustine Ground, Warner Street
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Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 14:58:36 GMT
Speyside edges Tigers 2-1 in Group A
by Walter Alibey 2 days ago Sun Sep 18 2022 guardian.co.tt/sports/speyside-edges-tigers-21-in-group-a-6.2.1546874.271c4d92cdSt Benedict's captain Tarik Lee, right, shoots and scores while tracked by to Carapichaima East defenders during the Secondary School Football League Premiership match at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, yesterday. St Benedict's won 7-0. (Photo by Daniel Prentice) Daniel Prentice A brace from captain Caleb Boyce for Presentation College, San Fernando, assured them a comfortable 3-1 triumph over Malick Secondary on Saturday afternoon when action in Group B of the Premiership Division of the Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) continued at Union Hall, San Fernando. In Group A, Speyside High inflicted early wounds on the St Anthony’s “Tigers” at home. The Tigers, following their opening win 2-0 against Pleasantville 2-0 last week, were put to the test on the road in the sister-isle of Tobago. However, at Union Hall yesterday the win assured “Pres”, the winner of the opening Tiger Tanks Cup, their second win in the coveted league competition. Last week, “Pres” followed their 3-2 penalty-shoot-out triumph for the Tiger Tanks Cup with a slender 1-0 win over Trinity College East away from home, but yesterday they were made to come from behind for the second time this season. The encounter was less than a minute old when a weak defensive header by Terrance Worrell to fend off an early Malick attack, fell nicely at the feet of Oba Samuel on top of the area. The talented Malick striker then hit low to goal, but his attempt took a wicked deflection off Cody Cooper and bounced agonisingly past goalkeeper Kanye Lazarus inside the Presentation goal for a 1-0 advantage for the northerners. The goal was expected to set the tone for a Malick team that has been in a process of rebuilding for the past few years. However, “Pres”, playing at home for the first time this season, pulled themselves together and were rewarded in the 29th minute when Boyce delivered to the unmarked Isaiah Jacob on the left flank. And his centre appeared to be charged down when Micah Brathwaite rifled his shot goalwards, causing referee Cecil Hinds to point to the penalty spot. Adah Barclay then stepped up and beat the dive of goalkeeper Mandell Huskerson in the Malick goal for a 1-1 scoreline. The teams went to the halfway interval with the score at 1-apiece and when the game resumed, Barclay turned provider to send his team 2-1 up. Barclay won the ball in the midfield and delivered it upfield to the unmarked Boyce to expertly weave his way through two defenders, before slotting the ball past the advancing Huskerson in the 53rd minute. He later sealed the win in the 59th minute. Jacob found space in the centre of the field and unleashed a shot that proved to be relatively tame, due to sliding underfoot conditions. Still, Huskerson made a meal of it by parrying the ball into the path of Boyce who duly obliged by hitting the ball into the open net for the 3-1 victory in the group. In Group A, Tobago giants Speyside High continue their winning ways courtesy of second-half items from Milz Johnson and Tyrel Moore. Those goals came after the “Tigers”, as the St Anthony’s boys are commonly called, opened the scoring early in the second half from Aadon Wilson-Wright. Tagged in:
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Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 15:01:58 GMT
Fatima stun Naps 2-1 in SSFL Premiership
NEWSDAY REPORTER 2 DAYS AGO Khufu Mohammed (centre) of East Mucurapo tries to get the ball from QRC's Micah Nelson during their teams' match on Saturday, at the QRC Ground, St Clair, in the Secondary Schools Football League. Photo by Sureash Cholai DAVID SCARLETT NEWLY-PROMOTED Fatima College, against all odds, overcame defending Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership champions, Naparima College, 2-1 in an intense affair at Fatima College Ground, Mucurapo on Saturday. It was a stunning result as the boys from the north pulled off a remarkable comeback victory against Travis Mulraine's unit, especially given that the champions mauled St Augustine 9-1 in midweek and looked in good form. Fatima, who were promoted from the SSFL Championship in 2019, are the first team to beat Naparima in the league since they themselves won with the same score-line, at the same ground, on September 16, 2017. Naparima’s unbeaten run lasted exactly five years (two and three-quarter seasons), achieving more than 30 games without loss. The champions took the lead in the 29th minute via an own-goal from Fatima’s Christian Bailey. The rushing defender attempted to prevent Naparima’s Nathaniel O’Garro from scoring after beating the goalkeeper, but he bundled the ball into his own net. However, the home side found an equaliser in the 67th minute when Chaim Williams slotted the ball past Naparima goalkeeper, Dejon Collingwood, and into the bottom right corner after receiving a well-timed through-ball. Naparima struggled to create chances on the waterlogged pitch, which proved to work in Fatima’s favour. Fatima continued to press the champions and scored the winner with the last kick of the game, in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Khiba Romany created space for himself inside of the crowded penalty area and blasted the ball home as the home crowd erupted in ecstasy to celebrate Fatima’s first win of the season. QRC's Ronaldinho James (left) battles for the ball with East Mucurapo's Shuron Hendrickson during their Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership match at the QRC Ground, St Clair on Saturday. Photo by Sureash Cholai At the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva in the first game of a double-header, Presentation San Fernando recovered from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 against Malick. A double from Caleb Boyce and one from Adah Barclay led the ‘Pres Lions’ to claim their maiden three points. The second game provided a spectacle for neutrals and St Benedict’s fans as the La Romain-based school hammered Carapichaima East 8-0. San Juan North added to the goal rush on the day by thrashing the third of the three newly-promoted teams, Chaguanas North, 13-0. QRC recovered from their opening-day loss to beat East Mucurapo 5-0, Speyside got past St Anthony’s 2-1 and Trinity East overcame East Mucurapo 3-0. St Augustine’s home fixture with Pleasantville was postponed due to the field being unsatisfactory for play. That fixture will be played on October 1 at 4 pm. Matchday Three Fixtures (September 21) GROUP A – St Anthony’s vs St Augustine (Hasely Crawford Stadium), 4 pm; Fatima vs Carapichaima East (Fatima College Ground), 4 pm; Naparima vs Pleasantville (Naparima College Ground), 4 pm; Speyside vs St Benedict’s (Speyside High School Ground), 3.30 pm. GROUP B – Moruga Secondary vs San Juan North (Hasely Crawford Stadium), 2 pm; East Mucurapo vs Presentation (Venue TBA), 4 pm; Malick Secondary vs Trinity East (Malick Secondary School Ground), 4 pm; QRC vs Chaguanas North (QRC Ground), 4 pm.
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Post by Admin on Sept 30, 2022 14:51:05 GMT
Pres, San Juan North continue stainless Premiership record
NEWSDAY REPORTER YESTERDAY Queen’s Royal College’s Stephon James (L) and Malick’s Malachi Woodley vie for control of the ball during the SSFL match, on Wednesday, at CIC grounds, St Clair. Photo by Sureash Cholai DAVID SCARLETT PRESENTATION College San Fernando ensured that they maintained their 100 per cent record in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership this season with a resounding 3-0 against strugglers Moruga Secondary at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Wednesday evening. The current Intercol and Tiger Tanks Cup champions have been resilient in Group B of the Premiership so far and comfortably brushed aside their southern counterparts, who are yet to earn a point this season. The “Pres Lions” opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Micah Braithwaite smartly placed a left-footed strike into the bottom left corner from 12 yards out. Their lead was doubled one minute before half-time through Caleb Boyce. The Pres captain turned two Moruga defenders at the edge of the goal area and rifled the ball into the roof of the net. Mackeil Edwards wrapped up the three points for Presentation in the 82nd minute with a composed tap-in from ten yards as the Lions ensured their stay at the top of the group. Fellow table toppers, San Juan North Secondary, also maintained their clean slate this season as they edged Trinity College East 1-0 on a soggy pitch away from home. In-form striker Larry Noel put San Juan in front in the second minute, one of the earliest goals scored in the SSFL Premiership this term. The clinical number nine’s initial shot from 12 yards was trapped by a pool of water in the penalty area, but Noel was quick enough to pounce on the ball for a second opportunity before the defender’s intervention and calmly slotted it into the back of the net. Queen’s Royal College captain Aydon Caruth scores his side’s first goal from the penalty spot in the Secondary Schools Football League match against Malick Secondary, at CIC grounds, St Clair, on Wednesday. Photo by Sureash Cholai The east-based team went on to dominate the home team on their own patch, registering 23 shots with 11 on target. But the heavy conditions made it difficult for either side to score after the game’s opening goal, and San Juan held on to claim victory. Last season’s Intercol runners-up are now four wins from four games played and are seeking to beat Pres to the top spot. The two north-based teams in the group, East Mucurapo Secondary and Queen’s Royal College (QRC) earned victories to keep their qualification hopes alive against Chaguanas North Secondary and Malick Secondary, respectively. East Mucurapo toiled hard and were rewarded with a 2-1 win against their central opponents away from home while QRC grabbed a 4-2 win. Group B action resumes on Saturday for matchday five with QRC vs Trinity East (2pm), Moruga vs Malick (4pm), Presentation vs Chaguanas North (4pm), and San Juan North vs East Mucurapo (4pm).
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Post by Admin on Oct 14, 2022 17:48:41 GMT
St Benedict's humiliate St Augustine 14-1 in SSFL
NEWSDAY St Benedict’s Lyshawn Morris, left, and St Augustine’s Marcel Valentine go after the ball during their teams’ Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division match at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Balmain, Couva on Wednesday. - AYANNA KINSALE newsday.co.tt/2022/10/13/st-benedicts-humiliate-st-augustine-14-1-in-ssfl/DAVID SCARLETT THE Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division was graced with yet another high-scoring matchday, highlighted by St Benedict’s 14-1 annihilation of last-placed St Augustine at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Wednesday. This season’s fan favourites, fondly known as the ‘SBC Lions’, bettered Naparima’s 9-1 slaughter of the ‘Green Machine’ by five goals to climb to the top of Group A, having previously trailed to second-placed Fatima on goal-difference. Captain Tarik Lee led by example, netting six goals on the day. Jaden Grant scored a brace along with two goals each from Josiah Ochoa and Derrel Garcia. Nicholas Bobcombe and Ephraime Brown also got on the scoresheet to lead St Benedict’s to the biggest win in SSFL Premiership history. Fatima continued to embrace their role as this season’s dark horses by mauling Speyside 8-0 at home. The newly-promoted side are yet to be defeated this season, drawing just one of their five games played (against St Benedict’s). Fatima, who in pre-season were deemed as the fans’ pick to be relegated back to the Championship, are now six points away from a place in the Premiership semifinals. Naparima, the defending champions and four-time winners, ensured that their title defence was still in tact as they romped to a 4-0 win over St Anthony’s at the Naparima Ground, Lewis Street, San Fernando. Andres France opened the scoring for the hosts in the fifth minute to set the foundation for what was to come. Nathaniel O’Garro doubled their lead in the 45th minute. Kanye Francis netted two minutes after half-time before Jabari Forbes’ goal in the 72nd minute completed a dominant performance against North Zone’s best-ranked team. The fourth game of the matchday involved Pleasantville and Carapichaima East who played to a thrilling 3-3 draw, as both teams continued to battle against relegation. All eyes will now be on Saturday's fixture between St Benedict’s and Naparima, which will be crucial in determining who will progress to the final four. The battle will be contested at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo at 2 pm. Fatima will travel away to St Augustine at 3.30 pm with hopes of claiming more valuable points towards qualification. Carapichaima East will host St Anthony’s at the Ato Boldon Stadium at 3.30 pm and Speyside versus Pleasantville is scheduled to kick off at 3.30 pm at a venue to be determined. Group A standings (after Matchday Five): 1.St Benedict’s 13 points (+27 goal difference); 2.Fatima 13 points (+24 GD); 3.Naparima 12 points; 4.St Anthony’s 6 points (-5 GD); 5.Speyside 6 points (-12 GD); 6.Pleasantville 4 points (-6 GD); 7.Carapichaima East 4 points (-20 GD); 8.St Augustine 0 point.
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Post by Admin on Oct 27, 2022 12:25:15 GMT
St Benedict's cop SSFL Premiership title in 3-1 win vs Fatima Fatima College's Jesse Hospedales (L) and St Benedict's Derrel Garcia vie for control of the ball during the Secondary Schools Football League Premiership division final, on Wednesday, at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. - Marvin Hamilton newsday.co.tt/2022/10/27/st-benedicts-cop-ssfl-premiership-title-in-3-1-win-vs-fatima/DAVID SCARLETT AFTER three years without schoolboy football, the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership returned and crowned a new champion as St Benedict’s College lifted the coveted trophy following a 3-1 victory over Fatima College at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Wednesday afternoon. This marked the La Romaine Lions’ first-ever title win since the inception of the SSFL Premiership in 2014. They are only the second team besides Naparima College and Presentation College (San Fernando) to win the league (Shiva Boys’ Hindu College won in 2016). Prior to the kick-off, SSFL president Merere Gonzales praised both teams for their efforts to get to the final stage, especially as they went through the season unbeaten. He also stated that having two teams that aren’t Naparima and Presentation in the final is good for the league, its development and its marketability as it would attract different sets of fans, scouts and sponsors. Amidst a packed arena, both teams walked out of the tunnel with confidence and with a desire for war. Fatima began on the front foot, keeping the Lions pegged back in their own half for the best of the opening five minutes. However, St Benedict’s got into their groove and started to test Fatima’s defence. The Lions earned a penalty kick in the tenth minute when referee Crystal Sobers adjudged that Nicholas Bobcombe was brought down in the penalty area by Jaden Williams. Derrel Garcia stepped up to take the kick and saw his effort impressively saved by goalkeeper Tristan Edwards. But the Lions didn’t let that penalty miss hinder them as they pressed Fatima and were rewarded with the opening goal courtesy Tarik Lee in the 33rd minute. The St Benedict’s captain floored Jaden Williams with some fancy footwork and rifled the ball into the bottom right corner with his weaker left foot. St Benedict’s College player Jeremiah Niles (R) runs with the ball during the SSFL Premiership division final, on Wednesday, at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. - Marvin Hamilton A minute later, St Benedict’s almost doubled their lead. Garcia dribbled into the penalty area and unleashed a left-footed shot, which was well saved by Edwards, and the rebound was dragged wide by Lee. Fatima was close to finding an equaliser when Christian Bailey slalomed his way through St Benedict’s defence, but he ballooned his effort over the bar, and the teams went into the break with the Lions leading 1-0. The team from the north began the second half strongly with Jesse Hospedales starring in the opening five minutes. The Fatima right-back had two efforts on goal, but to no avail, as his team fought on. St Benedict’s were awarded another penalty kick in the 60th minute when Hospedales was guilty of using his arms to bring down Garcia in the penalty area. This time, Tarik Lee took captain’s duty to step up and he blasted his shot past Edwards’ right hand, and into the back of the net to double his team’s lead. Following the goal, there was a minor scuffle between Edwards and Jeremiah Niles as the goalkeeper attempted to retrieve the ball and throw it back to the centre circle. Rebelliously, Niles then took the ball, ran away and kicked it towards the stands. Both players were booked for their actions. Fatima replied with a goal of their own in the 69th minute, thanks to substitute Kade Collier. The midfielder found himself in open space after receiving a cross from the left flank, and he volleyed home to give his team hope to fight on. But their bubble would soon be popped as Tarik Lee stormed through the Fatima defence and rocketed a shot past Edwards to make it 3-1 to St Benedict’s in the 73rd minute. Fatima were stunned. Ten minutes later, the Lions got the opportunity to score a fourth goal as they were awarded another penalty – the third of the game. Defender Keanu Morean was the assigned kicker on this occasion and he had his kick saved by Edwards, making it two penalty saves for the Fatima goalkeeper. In the 88th minute, the game was unfortunately stopped to address an emergency concerning a fan in the stands. Medical assistance was required and the supporter was given the necessary treatment by the medical staff on site. Following eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of regular time, St Benedict’s held on to their 3-1 lead to win the SSFL Premiership for the first time. St Benedict’s Tarik Lee was named Man of the Match for his performance and his hat-trick in the final. In his post-match interview with Newsday, the winning coach, Randolph Boyce, stated that the final was electrifying and he gave credit to the fans and the players. He continued to say “The players… they’ve been working really hard this year and (with) the work we put in, the fellas deserve to win today (as well as) the whole tournament – it's amazing! “The speed of our players was definitely one of our strengths. We worked on the transition part of our game because we knew that we had the players to play the type of game that we want to play. “Fatima is a well-organised team, a well-disciplined team and we kept them (locked) in open play and that made the difference.” Fatima College can be considered as overachievers having reached the Premiership final after playing last season in the Championship. Their heads will be held high as they continue their season and their hunt for silverware. Next up on the SSFL calendar is the Boys Championship Big Five, scheduled to begin this week. For the Premiership teams, they will have their focus on this season’s Intercol competition, which commences on November 1.
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Post by Admin on Oct 27, 2022 12:55:01 GMT
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Post by Admin on Dec 7, 2022 16:01:12 GMT
Benedict’s, Fatima chase perfection, redemption Top sides to battle it out in InterCol finaltrinidadexpress.com/sports/local/benedict-s-fatima-chase-perfection-redemption/article_5e867a34-75d0-11ed-a2c8-b787a648d89b.htmlFLASHBACK: Players from Fatima and St Benedict’s College battle for control of the ball during the SSFL Big Five final last month at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. —Photo: DEXTER PHILIP One team will be chasing redemption, the other perfection when the Secondary Schools Football League Coca Cola Boys InterCol Final kicks off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 4:30 p.m. today. Fatima College are still feeling the pain of their 3-1 loss to St Benedict’s College in the Premier Division Big Five final earlier in the season and are eager to make amends. Meanwhile the “La Romaine Lions” haven’t lost a match in the first season back on the pitch after the Covid-19 pandemic and they will be looking to keep it that way and bag another trophy in the process. “Everybody is good and ready to go...the guys are glad to reach another final,” St Benedict’s coach Randolph Boyce told the Express yesterday. And while he said they were not going to divert much from the tried and tested formula which has brought them success this season, he expects Fatima to come with something different and that St Benedict’s will have to be ready for anything. “The time is short between the semi-final and the final, so there is not much we can do differently at this point in time. We just have to cover the basics and make sure everybody is well-rested and ready to go,” Boyce explained. “Each game, opponents change one or two different strategies or other things and we drew the first game against Fatima and won the second one, so the third one, we don’t expect they will come with the same strategies because it didn’t work,” he continued. “We have to expect something totally different from Fatima. We are not going into the game thinking that because we were victorious against them already, they are going to just lay down. With the type of players and coaching staff they have, they definitely won’t do that. They will come to try to win the game, so we will have to very disciplined, organised and we may have to be very patient as well.” Boyce added: “In this InterCol, every team we faced played us with a different strategy so we are just teaching the guys to get their awareness up and see what changes are taking place in real time during the game and try to help them from the sideline to make the necessary adjustment. Everyone comes with a different strategy, so we are leaving it open with Fatima.” Meanwhile, Fatima manager Stephen Williams said his players would have taken on board the lessons from their earlier loss to St Benedict’s and will be prepared to leave everything on the field. “We played them twice for the season, the first match of the season was a 1-1 and the second match in the Premiership final, we lost 3-1. The mood in the camp right now is that the guys are definitely willing to put in the work,” said Williams. “The mindset is definitely going to be different. We are coming to battle knowing that St Benedict’s haven’t lost for the season as yet, so they have the momentum. Preparation has been good and it is just for tomorrow to put their heads down and get the job done,” he continued. Williams also noted that the 3-1 loss in the Big Five final is not something the players are ready to forget. In fact, he said they are now more focused than ever on redeeming themselves. “Definitely, the 3-1 loss will resonate with our boys because they spoke about it and we are also looking forward to the rematch so they could make amends for it. “I’m sure whoever starts the game and those coming in as substitutes will definitely be fully aware that they lost the Premiership final and this in another final. This is the National InterCol final and they basically have to leave it all out on the pitch.”
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Post by Admin on Dec 9, 2022 1:06:41 GMT
FATIMA’S CROWN Mucurapo Road boys win InterCol titleIan Prescott trinidadexpress.com/sports/local/fatima-s-crown/article_1e86dde0-76a0-11ed-9b0d-2322d548f5b1.htmlCHAMPS PRANCE: Fatima College players enjoy themselves with the trophy after defeating St Benedict’s College in the Secondary Schools Football League Coca Cola InterCol final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday. –Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK Fatima College are the 2022 Coca Cola InterCol champions, having yesterday defeated St Benedict’s College 1-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. Having failed in two previous tries at beating the Secondary Schools Football League Premier Division league champions St Benedict’s this season, Fatima got it right the third time yesterday to claim their fourth National InterCol win. Their opening encounter this season ended in a 1-1 stalemate, before St Benedict’s dominated 3-1 in the Big Four final. Fatima did get a fortuitous match-winning goal yesterday, but also defended extremely well throughout the encounter. France @ England - WCUP Game Preview for December 10, 2022 14:00 ET volume_off volume_up Auto (225p) 225p 360p Subtitles Off France @ England - WCUP Game Preview for December 10, 2022 14:00 ET A look ahead to the World Cup game between France and England, including stats on form, possession, shots, cards, corners, top scorers and previous meetings. France @ England - WCUP Game Preview for December 10, 2022 14:00 ET | 0:35 Portugal @ Morocco - WCUP Game Preview for December 10, 2022 10:00 ET | 0:40 Brazil @ Croatia - WCUP Game Preview for December 09, 2022 10:00 ET | 0:40 Kalvin Phillips: 'We are a lot better now going forward and defensively' Soccer | 1:49 2022 World Cup | What's a good bet on the DK Sportsbook for Netherlands vs. Argentina? | 0:31 Is Brazil or Croatia worth backing in the World Cup Quarterfinals? | 1:15 2022 World Cup | Do any Futures interest you? | 1:19 2022 World Cup | Who will advance through the Quarterfinals? (FULL) | 5:23 What's your reaction to the Morocco Miracle? | 1:50 Netherlands v Argentina MD-1 activities Soccer | 1:58 For yesterday’s match, Hutson Charles, the Fatima College and former Trinidad and Tobago senior team head coach made changes, including inserting regular left-back Alijah Nunes at defensive midfield. It was one of several changes aimed at stopping St Benedict’s highly-vaunted transition game. St Benedict’s never got going, leaving Fatima to enjoy the large share of possession. However, Fatima went ahead unexpectedly through Joshua Mason in the 12th minute, when St Benedict’s goalkeeper Ja-ir Buckmire was put under pressure by both defender Nesean Alexander’s inadequate back pass and the presence of the onrushing Fatima striker when attempting to clear. Buckmire saw the ball strike Mason and ricochet into the goal. Given that the match was ultra-tactical, cagey and with few clear chances created, Mason’s goal gave Fatima the vital advantage, which they held all the way to the end. Mason, himself, lasted just a half hour before going off due to a medical issue. Having led, Fatima got a chance to get a second in the first half but saw the ball turned wide at an empty back post. ‘Fatima defended well’ Meanwhile, Nicholas Bobcombe produced a powerful 32nd minute left footer that looked sure to be the St Benedict’s equaliser, only to be denied by a low save by Tristan Edwards, the Fatima College goalkeeper. Edwards had a couple of other solid, lead-preserving efforts and was also ably assisted by stellar work from his central defender Jaden Williams, who was named Man-of-the-Match. St Benedict’s huffed in the final few minutes, but never quite got that decisive scoring opportunity, and having put all effort into getting forward they could have conceded at the back on at least three occasions. Substitute striker Chaves could have killed the match off in the 89th minute, but could only hit a tame shot at Buckmire. For St Benedict’s it was the first loss of the season, leaving both teams with one defeat each, coming against each other; one national title each and a zonal InterCol crown as well. “We did our homework and you can surely see what we did today,” stated winning coach Hutson Charles. And despite failing to make a clean sweep, St Benedict’s head coach Randolph Boyce had no excuses. “Fatima came out and played an excellent game,” he stated. “Fatima defended well and kudos to them.” Facebook Twitter Email PrintCopy article link Save
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