Fatima College, the reigning national Inter-Col champion, Naparima College and San Juan North Secondary will face tricky tests as they seek to maintain their perfect start to the 2023 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division when round five matches take place On Wednesday from 4 pm.
Four-time champions Naparima leads the 16-team table with a +27 goal difference, from Fatima (+18) and San Juan North (+ 9), all three teams on a maximum of 12 points from four matches played. Another former champion, Presentation College of San Fernando, has climbed to the fourth spot with seven points, one more than Malick Secondary, Arima North Secondary, Speyside Secondary, Queen’s Royal; College (QRC), St Anthony’s College, and East Mucurapo, while defending champion St Benedict’s College sits in the 11th spot with four points from as many matches.
In what could easily be the match-of-the-day, the Hutson Charles-coached Fatima College has tasted the agony of defeat just once this school year, that loss seeing them coming out at the wrong end of an entertaining 4-3 result against St Benedict’s in the season-opening NGC Cup clash at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, on September 8.
Since that loss, however, Charles has been able to get the best from his squad as they have been very lethal in front of goal with 18 conversions, inspired in the attack by Michael Chaves and Aidan De Gannes each with four goals, without conceding a single item.
Fatima has thus far started to be very impressive in rattling off wins over St Anthony’s (7-0), Speyside (1-0), East Mucurapo (5-0), and Pleasantville Secondary (5-0) and with Michael Chaves and Aidan De Gannes, (four goals each) leading the way, Fatima will be looking send their home fans happy by exacting sweet revenge at the highly anticipated game which will be played at their school ground in Mucurapo.
After taking the NGC Cup, St Benedict’s faltered by surprisingly dropping its first two matches against San Juan North (4-3) and East Mucurapo (1-0) before blanking Bishop’s High 3-0, followed by a 1-1 draw in its last game at home to Arima North Secondary. They will, however, start today as underdogs, especially as key player Derrel Garcia will be unavailable for what should be a tough road trip.
Naparima has been in unforgiving and punishing form so far, hammering home a league-best 29 goals in just four matches (giving up just two), including a 7-0 hammering of East Mucurapo Secondary in their last outing. With the inspirational Kanye Francis, the league’s top scorer with six goals, at the fore along with Akiel Vesprey (4 goals), they will be expected to easily get past a stuttering Malick, which was stunned 1-2 at home by Speyside Secondary.
Despite starting as huge favourites, coach Travis Mulraine and his Naparima squad will not be taking the visitors for granted as although they will be at home at Lewis Street, San Fernando, they will be aware that Malick is still a dangerous team which is capable of scoring goals as they matched their own 10-0 result against Chaguanas North Secondary and this perhaps sets the stage for what can be a mouth-watering goal feast.
Coach Jerry Moe and his San Juan North squad will also face a tough away outing against Arima North which has already shown that they can mix it up with the big boys by holding Presentation College to a 0-0 draw, crushing St Mary’s College 8-1, and drawing 1-1 with St Benedict’s in their four results to date.
In today’s other matches, Chaguanas North hosts St Anthony’s College at Edinburgh 500 Recreation Ground, Chaguanas; Pleasantville Secondary welcomes Trinity College East to the Yoland Pompey Recreation Ground at Naparima, Mayaro Road; QRC entertains Bishop’s High at St Clair; Speyside is at home to Presentation College at Speyside Recreation Ground, and St Mary’s College and East Mucurapo clash at Serpentine Road, St Clair.
Wednesday's matches:
Chaguanas North vs St Anthony's College, Edinburgh 500 Rec. Grd, 4 pm
Fatima College vs St Benedict's College, Fatima College Grd, Mucurapo, 4 pm
Arima North Sec vs San Juan North Sec, Arima Municipal Stadium, Arima, 4 pm
Naparima College vs Malick Sec, Lewis Street, San F'do, 4 pm
Pleasantville Sec vs Trinity College East, Yolande Pompey Rec, 4 pm
QRC vs Bishop's High, QRC Ground, St Clair, 3.30 pm
Speyside Sec vs Presentation College, Speyside Rec. Grd, 3.30 pm
St Mary's College vs East Mucurapo Sec, St Mary's Grd, Serpentine Rd, St Clair, 4 pm
Standings
Position Team P W D L F A Pts
1 Naparima College 4 4 0 0 29 2 12
2 Fatima College 4 4 0 0 18 0 12
3 San Juan North 4 4 0 0 13 4 12
4 Presentation 4 2 1 1 4 2 7
5 Malick 4 2 0 2 14 4 6
6 Arima North 4 1 3 0 10 2 6
7 Speyside Sec 4 2 0 2 6 5 6
8 QRC 4 2 0 2 4 5 6
9 St Anthony’s College 4 2 0 2 5 9 6
10 East Mucurapo 4 2 0 2 3 13 6
11 St Benedict’s College 4 1 1 2 7 6 4
12 St Mary’s College 4 1 0 3 11 14 3
13 Chaguanas North 4 1 0 3 1 23 3
14 Trinity East 3 0 1 2 2 4 1
15 Bishop’s High 3 0 0 3 1 7 0
16 Pleasantville 4 0 0 4 0 27 0
SSFL Boys' Premier Division top scorers:
6 - Kanye Francis (Naparima).
5 - Nathan Quahie (San Juan North).
4 - Michael Chaves, Aidan De Gannes (Fatima), Kyle Phillip, Ryan Radellant (St Mary’s), Akiel Vesprey (Naparima)
3 - Tyrell Stapleton (Arima North), Oba Samuel (Malick), N’kosi Quahsie (Speyside), Jaheem Danclair, Lindell Sween (San Juan North), Jonathan Mason (Fatima)
2 - Justin Alcantar, Christian Bailey (Fatima), Ronaldinho Richards, J’Lon Matthews, Jordan Ferdinand (Malick), Kevin Francois, Jaron Pascall, Jabari Forbes, Tevin Pantor, Xarion France, Nathaniel O'Garro (Naparima), Elijah Wong (St Mary’s), Clint Latchman (East Mucurapo), Darion Marfan (Arima North), Jaden Grant, Daniel Jones (St Benedict’s), Micah Nelson (QRC), Jemaul Ashing (Arima North), Andell Fraser (St Anthony's), Vaughn Clement (Presentation) .
1 - Nekayse Moore (Chaguanas North), Adah Barclay (Presentation), Stephon James, Tau Lamsee (QRC), Malachi Webb, Derrel Garcia, Ethan Trotman (St Bendict’s), Thomas Decle, Kade Collier, Jaden Williams (Fatima), Malachi Woodley, Ackeem James, Isaiah David, Keston Richards, Zachary Joseph (Malick), Tyrel Rajoon, Aaron Raymond, Israel Joseph, Josiah Cooper, J’kown Bailey (Naparima), Daniel Rose, Obadiah Eyeadelrosiyhia, Theo Cravador (St Anthony’s), Omar Daniel, Shyon George (Speyside), Theron O’Brien, Ability Hazel, Tony Figuera (Arima North), Alejandro Harper (St Mary’s), Jadiel Joseph, Joshua Lewis (San Juan North), Kadeem Plaza, Khaleem Prince (Trinity East), Damario Henry (Bishop’s High), Jemon Gulston (East Mucurapo).
Own goal: 5