SSFL announces rescheduled fixtures; unbeaten Shiva Boys, San Juan and ‘Naps’ face stern tests

Fyzabad Secondary, St Anthony’s College, St Mary’s College and St Augustine Secondary will have a chance to close the gap with the top of the box on Monday 2 October when they meet in two rescheduled Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division matches.

St Mary’s will host St Augustine from 3.40pm at Serpentine Road while Fyzabad travel to Westmoorings to face St Anthony’s at the same time, after their previously scheduled appointments were postponed owing to unplayable field conditions.

At present, Fyzabad are third in the standings with nine points—they trail the leaders, Shiva Boys Hindu College, by six points—while the “Green Machine” and “Westmoorings Tigers” are seventh on seven points and CIC are 11th in the 16-team standings with five points.

Before the SSFL gets to its rescheduled games, though, there is the matter of some tasty match-ups on Wednesday evening as two of the Premier Division’s three unbeaten teams, Shiva Boys and San Juan North Secondary, do battle while the third, Presentation College (San Fernando), faces a fierce rival in Naparima College.

Shiva Boys are the only team with a 100 percent record this season and they are two points clear at the top of the table. But coach Hayden Ryan won’t forget that San Juan North were the only outfit to beat the “Penal Princes” in league action last season.

Shiva Boys have an abundance of riches in skipper Judah Garcia, winger Quinn Rodney, forward Junior Asson, new free-scoring midfield recruit Kierron Mason and playmaker Tyrel “Pappy” Emmanuel—the latter restricted to half-hour cameos owing to fitness or injury concerns.

But San Juan North, who are fifth with one win and four draws, can boast of the SSFL’s top scorer so far in the form of versatile left-footer, Brandon Semper, who has scored seven goals in five matches from an advanced midfield position behind centre-forward and team captain Renaldo Boyce.

The two teams battle from 3.40pm at Bourg Mulatresse.

Elsewhere at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Presentation, who trail Shiva Boys by just two points and are yet to taste defeat this season, will receive a stern test of their credentials by a familiar foe in southern rivals, Naparima College.

‘Naps’ are ninth at present and eight points shy of the SSFL leaders. But experienced sport fans know that form counts for little in derbies and the team with more to prove to their own supporters is a dangerous proposition in such contests.

There will be less fanfare in Barrackpore and St Augustine but loads at stake, as St Benedict’s College host Signal Hill Secondary while the Green Machine welcome Fyzabad.

St Augustine and Fyzabad are within striking distance of the leaders after impressive starts to their respective seasons and would like to keep it that way. But at least one team might have their ambitions reduced by the final whistle.

Meanwhile, in Barrackpore, defeat is likely to be catastrophic as the two table-proppers do battle. Signal Hill have just one point from five games so far this season while Benedict’s are only marginally better with two points.

If either wants to avoid the pain of relegation—and Benedict’s have already pushed the panic button by replacing head coach Leonson Lewis—then they will have to act soon.

St Benedict’s are unbeaten since rejigging their technical staff, which meant the hiring of Point Fortin Civic coach and New Lands/Mahaica Councillor Reynold Carrington, although those two draws did not get them very far. Signal Hill can take only the faintest consolation in the fact that their captain Akil Frank got his first goal of the season on the weekend, albeit from the penalty spot in a 3-2 loss to St Mary’s College.

They will both be hoping to do better on Wednesday.

The SSFL also announced today that there will be no matches on Wednesday 18 October owing to the Divali holiday. As a result, all fixtures carded for that day have been moved to Thursday 19 October.

Upcoming SSFL Premier Division fixtures

(Wednesday 27 September)

Presentation College v Naparima College, 3.40pm, Mannie Ramjohn;

St Benedict’s College v Signal Hill, 3.40pm, Barrackpore;

Fatima College v Trinity Moka, 3.40pm, Fatima;

St Mary’s College v Carapichaima East, 3.40pm, St Mary’s;

Trinity East v QRC, 3.40pm, Trincity;

St Anthony’s College v Speyside High, 3.40pm, St Anthony’s;

St Augustine Secondary v Fyzabad Secondary, 3.40pm, St Augustine;

San Juan North v Shiva Boys HC, 3.40pm, San Juan.

Rescheduled fixtures

(Monday 2 October)

St Mary’s College v St Augustine Secondary, 3.40pm, Serpentine Road;

St Anthony’s College v Fyzabad Secondary, 3.40pm, Westmoorings.

SSFL Standings

(Played-Won-Drew-Lost-Goals For-Goals Against-Points)

1. Shiva Boys HC    5-5-0-0-16-2-15
2. Presentation        5-4-1-0-13-4-13
3. Fyzabad Sec        4-3-0-1-6-4-9
4. Fatima                  5-3-0-2-5-4-9
5. San Juan N          5-1-4-0-13-6-7
6. Trinity East           5-2-1-2-8-5-7
7. St Augustine        4-2-1-1-8-6-7
8. St Anthony’s        4-2-1-1-8-6-7
9. Naparima             5-2-1-2-9-8-7
10. Carapichaima E  5-2-1-2-7-7-7
11. St Mary’s             4-1-2-1-8-10-5
12. QRC                     5-1-1-3-4-10-4
13. Speyside High     5-1-0-4-3-11-3
14. Trinity Moka        5-1-0-4-4-16-3
15. St Benedict’s       5-0-2-3-5-12-2
16. Signal Hill            5-0-1-4-3-9-1

SSFL Premier Division Top Scorers

7—Brandon Semper (San Juan North),

5—Omri Baird (Presentation San F’do), Kierron Mason [3 pen] (Shiva Boys),

4—Judah St Louis [1 pen] (Naparima), Ackeel Jacob (Presentation San F’do), Devon Charles (St Mary’s),

3—Kevon Williams (Carapichaima East), Sharkeel Louison (Fyzabad), Renaldo McIntosh (Naparima), Junior Asson (Shiva Boys).

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Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.