Naparima College returned to the top of the Premier Division of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) after clobbering Fatima College 4-1 on Wednesday at their Lewis Street, San Fernando home.
For two unbeaten teams, the margin of defeat came as a shock for fans, but the Southerners proved themselves worthy on the day and showed themselves to be the only unbeaten team in the league to date. Touted as a final showdown, the southerners got a double strike from the boot of instrumental striker Elijah Edwards to spearhead the win.
The game was just 22 minutes old when Edwards handed his team the advantage, 1-0, much to the delight of their fans. With Fatima College ruffled by the away pressures, the home team quickly turned the encounter into a one-way flow, despite going off for the halfway break with the score on 1-0.
Thereafter, the visitors went down further 2-0 when Jabri Rodriguez found the net in the 54th minute. And as the game progressed, the Southerners compounded the Fatima troubles in the 73rd minute, courtesy of Riquelme Phillips’ item.
Later, Edwards returned to the action with his second goal of the match in the 83rd minute for a 4-0 advantage. By that time, the game seemed headed for a close until Phillip Nelson fired in a consolation goal in the 90+5. The win pushed the southerners to 24 points from eight matches, with 32 goals scored, but the Mucurapo Road men remained in the second position on 22 points.
Naparima College will next travel to Serpentine Road, St Clair, to face Queen’s Royal College on Saturday afternoon. Fatima College, on the other hand, will attempt to rebound in its next match against Signal Hill Secondary at its Mucurapo Road home.
Meanwhile, Presentation College, San Fernando, moved to third on 21 points after their lone item from Nikosi Foncette. proved to be enough to eke out the win 1-0 against Scarborough Secondary in the sister isle of Tobago.
Queen’s Royal College (QRC) was unlucky yesterday, going down to Trinity College at home 2-1, while Carapichaima, under a new coach, still went down to struggling San Juan North Secondary 4-1 at their home ground. Carapichaima, winners of the Championships Central Division last year, before moving on to claim one of three qualifying spots in the league’s premier division, is yet to receive a win or a draw for the season.
And despite removing coach Jear Geoffreys, it didn’t help their cause. The central men scored two own goals to hand San Juan North a 2-0 lead. And later, Jaheim Danclar and Jahdel Chase Charles sealed the win for their team, moving them to eight points in seven matches.
WEDNESDAY’S SSFL RESULTS
Naparima 4 (Elijah Edwards 22nd, 83rd, Jabri Rodriguez 54th, Riquelme Phillips 73rd) vs Fatima 1 (Philiip Nelson 90+5)
Scarborough Sec 0 vs Presentation College 1 (Nikosi Foncette)
Carapichaima Sec 0 vs San Juan North 4 (og, og, Jaheim Danclar, Jahdel Chase Charles)
St Anthony’s 2 vs St Mary’s College 1
St Augustine Sec 1 vs St Benedict’s College 3
QRC 1 (Osei Thompson) vs Trinity College 2 (Anton Joseph, Troy Bruno)
Arima North vs Trinity College East (Game postponed)
Signal Hill vs Malick Secondary- (Game didn’t play)
Latest SSFL Premiership
P*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts.
1.Naparima College*8*8*0*0*32*02*30*24
2.Fatima College*9*7*1*1*25*14*11*22
3.Presentation College*9*7*0*2*18*07*11*21
4.St. Benedict’s College*8*6*0*2*21*09*12*18
5.Queen’s Royal College*10*5*1*4*18*16*02*16
6.St. Mary’s College*10*3*4*3*27*18*9*13
7.St. Anthony’s College*7*4*1*2*21*12*09*13
8.Arima North Secondary*9*2*4*3*15*16*01*10
9.Signal Hill Secondary*5*3*0*2*15*07*08*09
10.Trinity College Moka*8*3*0*5*13*22*-9*09
11.St. Augustine Secondary*9*2*3*4*10*25*-15*09
12.San Juan North Secondary*7*2*2*3*16*16*0*08
13.Malick Secondary*8*2*2*4*18*19*-01*08
14.Trinity College East*8*2*0*6*11*30*-19*06
15.Scarborough Secondary*9*1*2*6*09*27*-18*05
16.Carapichaima East Secondary*10*0*0*10*06*35*-29*00
