Fatima College, the 2024 Coca-Cola North Zone Intercol winner, remained on course to retain its title with a tense win on penalties against St Mary’s College (CIC) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, Friday.
In front of some 1,000 spectators comprised of students, alumni, associates, and everything in between from both institutions, the players on the field were circumspect but not timid in a first half which produced no goals. They dared to slug it out against each other in the second half with all of the marbles on the line, and St Mary’s blinked first.
Referee Nathalya Williams spotted an infringement which placed Fatima on the penalty spot, from where midfielder and captain Seth Hadeed put his spot kick in the 52nd minute. But only eight minutes later, Williams was forced to award the Saints with a penalty of their own, which was scored by Eran McLeod to restore parity.
A six-minute burst convinced Fatima’s side of the college divide that a spot in the final was theirs as Phillip Nelson scored a double with goals in the 75th and 81st minutes, putting the boys from Mucurapo Road 3-1 ahead with nine minutes left.
However, the mimicry continued with St Mary’s doubling down on goals in the 84th and 86th from Jaylon Roberts and Josiah Hunte, respectively, to again draw level, this time at 3-3. There was no further scoring in regulation time, which forced the teams into the lottery kicks from the penalty spot, and that’s where the defending champions eventually prevailed 4-3 to move on to Wednesday’s North Zone final.
They are set to take on St Anthony’s College, who shut out upstarts Malick Secondary 3-0 in yesterday’s earlier kick-off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. That game also produced no goals in the first half before springing to sudden life in the second. The Westmoorings Tigers opened scoring via Kyle Millington in the 65th before goals from A John in the 75th and Mordecai Ford in the 78th sealed the tie.
In the South Zone’s one rescheduled quarterfinal, which was played at Palo Seco Secondary School grounds, the home side pulled off a win against Pleasantville Secondary to advance to the semifinals. Palo Seco scored first with forward Akil Baptiste netting in the sixth minute. However, two minutes later, Enesio Williams pulled Pleasantville level again before they suffered the ultimate heartbreak when Zakar Alexander scored the winner for Palo Seco to set up a meeting against current Boys’ Premiership leaders Naparima College.
Signal Hill, Bishop’s High reach Tobago Girls’ final.
Signal Secondary and Bishop’s High School, Tobago, have confirmed a clash in that zone’s Coca-Cola Girls’ Intercol final, carded for December 3, following contrasting semifinal wins at Shaw Park, Scarborough, Tobago, yesterday.
Signal Hill whipped Speyside Secondary School 3-0 with Ty’kaya Dennis netting a first-half hat-trick. Dennis plundered three goals within the span of 25 minutes, finding the back of the net in the second, 20th, and 25th minutes as her team blanked the girls from the island’s Northeast.
By contrast, Bishop’s High and Scarborough Secondary School battled tooth and nail for all of 72 minutes before the game’s first and only goal arrived. It was scored by Gyasi Lewis out of Bishop’s.
RESULTS
Coca-Cola Boys’ Intercol North SF
St Anthony’s 3 (K Millington 65th, A John 75th, M Ford 78th) vs Malick 0
Fatima 3 (S Hadeed 52nd, P Nelson 75th, 81st) vs CIC 3 (E McLeod 64th, J Roberts 84th, J Hunte 86th). Fatima won 4-3 on penalty kicks.
Coca-Cola Boys’ Intercol South QF
Palo Seco Secondary 2 (A Baptiste 6th, Z. Alexander) vs Pleasantville Secondary 1 (E Williams 8th)
Coca Cola Boys’ Intercol East SF - (Nov 20)
Arima vs San Juan (Did not play)
St Augustine Secondary 2 (D Gordon 16th, K Williams 20th) vs St George’s College 0
Coca-Cola Girls’ Intercol Tobago SF
Signal Hill 3 (T Dennis 2nd, 20th, 25th) vs Speyside Secondary 0
Scarborough Secondary 0 vs Bishop’s High School 1 (G Lewis)
Coca Cola Girls’ Intercol Central SF - (Nov 20)
Chaguanas South Secondary 1 vs 1 Carapichaima East (Caps 3-2 on penalties)
Holy Faith Convent 2 vs 1 Chaguanas North Secondary
