SSFL 23: “Pres”, “Naps” play to goalless draw, Fatima open three-point gap

Leaders Fatima College opened up a three-point gap in the 2023 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division, after the 11th round of matches took place yesterday.

A double by former National Under-17 Team forward Michael Chaves steered Fatima to their ninth win of the season, courtesy of a 4-2 result over Malick Secondary at the St Mary’s College Ground, St Clair.

Second-placed San Juan North Secondary suffered a serious setback in their pursuit of the Premier Division crown as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to hosts St Anthony’s College at Westmoorings.

And, in yesterday’s stand-out derby, third-placed Naparima College had to settle for a goalless draw at home to Presentation College (San Fernando), after “Pres” left back Duhrell Young missed a penalty at Lewis Street.

St Benedict’s College, who hammered St Mary’s College 5-0 at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, trail “Naps” by only goal difference now.

Another ex-National Under-17 attacker, Malachi Webb, epitomised the momentum of the “La Romain Lions” yesterday with his second successive hattrick.

Webb has eight goals in three matches now for the defending champions.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Arima North Secondary attackers Tyrell Stapleton and Stephano Christopher scored two apiece in a 4-0 win away to Speyside High Secondary.

And Khaleem Prince registered a double in Trinity College East’s 4-0 win over table proppers Chaguanas North Secondary.

Queen’s Royal College (QRC) enjoyed the biggest win of the day, as they trounced Pleasantville Secondary 7-1. Micah Nelson notched a double for the “Royalians”.

And Brandon Parks and Jadon McShine were both among the scorers as East Mucurapo Secondary brushed aside Bishop’s High School 4-1 at Fatima Ground.

There were no goals in the Premier Division’s marquee match-up, which was played on a soggy Lewis Street Recreation Ground. But it was an intriguing battle nonetheless.

The “Pres Lions” should have gone ahead in the 21st minute, when referee Nikolai Nyron awarded a penalty for a foul by Naparima left-back Antonio Hills on opposing striker Vaughn Clement.

But Presentation left back, Young, sent his left-footed shot over the bar.

Four minutes later, Presentation missed another gilt-edged chance—this time by Maliq Brathwaite.

The Naparima defence failed to cut out a throw by Young and Brathwaite was left with time and space from eight metres. However, his subsequent shot was pushed wide by Naps goalkeeper Tyrece Romain.

The conditions did not allow for free-flowing football, and both teams struggled for fluidity for the majority of the match.

It took Naparima up until the 81st minute to put pressure on the opposing backline.

Presentation goalie Kanye Lazarus missed an attempted punched clearance, off a Jkwon Bailey corner kick, and hard-working Naparima centre-back Josiah Cooper powered his header inches wide of the target.

Three minutes later, Kanye Francis drilled a right-footed shot overbar from distance. And, in the last minute of stoppage time, Lazarus needed a smart save to tip a looping Bailey header overbar.

Naparima coach Travis Mulraine and Presentation coach Shawn Cooper agreed that a draw was the deserved result.

“Besides the missed penalty, I thought it was a very even game [with] a lot of ebbs and flows,” Mulraine told Wired868. “I think it was befitting of a Pres-Naps derby. We have to look forward, hope to win the rest of our games and hope the results go our way elsewhere.”

Cooper concurred.

“After we spilled the penalty, I thought it was even-stevens,” he said.

Mulraine expressed concern over his team’s failure to score against a top-five opponent, for a second straight match.

“It is a concern because we were scoring goals and conceding,” he said. “We worked a bit defensively. Now we’re getting clean sheets but we’re not converting up front. We just have to keep working on the training pitch.”

Cooper conceded that the race for the 2023 SSFL Premier Division crown is no longer in their hands.

“It’s an easy street going forward with Fatima and San Juan,” said Cooper. “It’s their league to lose.”

Fatima are at home against Bishop’s High on Saturday before they host Trinity College in midweek. They then close off their league campaign with away games to Naparima and St Mary’s.

San Juan North host Malick and St Mary’s respectively before they travel to East Mucurapo and Chaguanas North.

If Fatima slip, San Juan North will hope to be ready to take advantage.

(Teams)

Naparima College (4-5-1): 1.Tyrece Romain (GK); 7.Jkwon Bailey, 5.Josiah Cooper, 18.Tyrel Alexander, 3.Antonio Hills (16.Darion Hernandez 52nd), 11.Akiel Vesprey (6.Xarion France 59th), 13.Jelani Calliste, 10.Kanye Francis, 4.Jaron Pascall (captain), 23.Arron Raymond (22.Jabari Forbes 70th); 14.Tevin Pantor.

Unused substitutes: 25.Mikhail Clement (GK), 8.Terrell Rajoon, 12.Zachary Seecharan, 17.Shabani Thompson, 20.Israel Joseph.

Coach: Travis Mulraine

Presentation College (San Fernando): 1.Kanye Lazarus (GK) (captain); 17.Djibril Felix (16.Micah Brathwaite 64th), 24.Cody Cooper, 5.Tyrel Pemberton, 12.Duhrell Young; 3.Abayomi George, 21.Kaielle Elliott (11.Joshua Gustave 71st), 6.Levi Jones, 15.Adah Barclay, 14.Maliq Brathwaite (9.Terrance Worrell 71st), 15.Adah Barclay; 7.Vaughn Clement.

Unused substitutes: 28.Jerelle Thorne (GK), 17.Isaiah Jacob, 19.Caleb Boyce, 20.Gabriel Collins.

Coach: Shawn Cooper

Referee: Nikolai Nyron

SSFL Premier Division results

(Wednesday 18 October)

Naparima College 0, Presentation (San F’do) 0 at Lewis Street;

Speyside Secondary 0, Arima North 4 (Tyrell Stapleton 10, 40, Stephano Christopher 36, 75) at Speyside Recreation Ground;

East Mucurapo 4 (Brandon Parks, Jadon McShine, Nieem Taylor, Al-Kalipha Henry), Bishop’s High 1 (Te’Shaun Kerr) at Fatima Ground;

St Benedict’s College 5 (Malachi Webb [3], Daniel Jones, OG), St Mary’s College 0 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium;

Malick Secondary 2 (Malachi Woodley [2]), Fatima College 4 (Michael Chaves [2], Yohance Atherton, Caden Trestrail) at Serpentine Road;

QRC 7 (Micah Nelson 16, 29, Tau Lamsee 25, Khylon Clark OG 54, Zion Aberdeen 73, Phillip Nelson 80, Jayden Christophe 85), Pleasantville Secondary 1 (Kiev Robertson) at QRC Ground;

St Anthony’s College 1 (Aalon Wilson-Wright), San Juan North 0 at Westmoorings;

Trinity East 4 (Khaleem Prince [2], Jonathan Emrith, Keslon Pierre), Chaguanas North 0 at Trincity;

Upcoming fixtures

(Saturday 21 October)

St Anthony’s College vs Trinity East, Westmoorings, 3.45pm;

Fatima College vs Bishop’s High, Fatima Ground, 3.30pm;

East Mucurapo vs Pleasantville Secondary, Moka, 3.30pm;

Speyside High vs Naparima College, Speyside Recreation Ground, 3.30pm;

San Juan North vs Malick Secondary, Bourg Mulatresse, 3.45pm;

St Benedict’s College vs QRC, Manny Ramjohn Stadium, 3.45pm;

St Mary’s College vs Presentation (San F’do), Serpentine Road, 3.45pm;

Chaguanas North vs Arima North, Edinburgh 500, 3.45pm.