Intercol 23: Arima North overcome rain, darkness and Sween to secure East crown

Arima North Secondary overcame persistent rainfall and fading light to secure the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) East Zone Intercol crown by virtue of a 15-14 scoreline, courtesy kicks from the penalty mark, against San Juan North Secondary in today’s final at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar.

It was the first zonal Intercol title for the Dial Dynamos in over a decade and SSFL president Merere Gonzales declared it to be the longest shootout in the history of the schoolboys’ game.

The game was an attritional affair in regulation time though with both teams cancelling out each other to finish goalless, as showers made the field soggy and uncomfortable for the players.

With light rapidly fading—the floodlights at the venue have not been repaired in nearly a decade—one wondered if things would reach a stage where the officials had to contemplate another way to determine the winners.

Both teams scored their first 10 kicks.

Theron O’Brien, Tyrell Stapleton, Criston Gomez, Akil Henry, captain Jemaul Ashing, Darian Marfan, Stephen Ollivierie, Ability Hazel, Malachi Noreiga and Mark Thomas did the honours for Arima.

Jahdel Chase-Charles, Lindell Sween, Nathan Quashie, Desailly Lewis, Kent Guy, Jaheshua Ferguson, Jaheem Danclar, Jadiel Joseph, goalkeeper Xavion Haynes and Mathyyas Charles netted for San Juan.

With the 11th kick, Arima’s goalie Isaiah Diaz had his effort saved by Haynes, only for San Juan skipper Joshua Lewis to drill his left-footed shot against the post.

In the second round of the shootout, O’Brien, Stapleton, Gomez and Henry again converted their efforts for Arima, with responses from San Juan’s Chase-Charles, Sween, Quashie and Lewis.

Ashing placed his penalty high to Haynes’ right to put Arima 15-14 up, but Guy’s attempt was saved by Diaz to spark wild celebrations by his teammates and technical staff.

Wayne Sheppard, Arima’s coach, acknowledged that he feared the penalty shootout may have continued in total darkness.

But he pointed out: “Actually, I was told by one of the officials that Guy’s penalty was going to be the last penalty because of how dark it had gotten. They were going to stop it at that point.

“Stopping the penalties at that point would open a door for all sort of different methods to be used to decide the game after that.”

San Juan coach Jerry Moe could not be reached for comment.

Sheppard added: “Although I don’t consider penalty kicks as football, I’m still glad that it ended on the field of play.

“In terms of the quality of the penalties, I thought my boys’ penalties were outstanding. I thought my keeper, on another day, would have stopped a couple of [San Juan’s kicks], but he stopped the one that was important.”

San Juan North had the better of the early exchanges, with Quashie narrowly missing the target with a right-footed half-volley, after two minutes of action.

And in the 26th minute, Elizsha Rogers forced a good save from Diaz, after collecting a loose ball in the penalty box.

Three minutes later, Arima’s midfielder Stephano Christopher benefitted from good work on the right flank by Ashing, as he was picked out at the edge of the penalty box. However, Christopher’s shot, via a deflection, was saved by Haynes.

Diaz was later called into action twice.

In the 45th minute, Chase-Charles, from deep, unleashed a low right-footer which was pushed wide. And, on the hour-mark, Joseph ran past Henry but his powerfully-taken shot was tipped overbar.

“From a footballing standpoint, both teams negated one another,” said Sheppard. “[For] the majority of my boys, this is the first time they’re playing at this level. I thought they were afraid to lose and, therefore, they decided to fight instead of settling down and playing our [style of] football, especially in the first half.

“At the half, I spoke to them about it [and] in the second half, they made a better effort. [But] I don’t think at any point in time, on the offensive side, we played our football for any consistent period of time.

“On the defensive end, in terms of structure, we did all that we spoke about, to keep the main players of San Juan quiet.”

San Juan North could not break down the Dial Dynamos and with Arima unable to get a goal themselves, the game was settled by an epic shootout.

(Teams)

Arima North Secondary (4-3-3): 1.Isaiah Diaz (GK); 3.Criston Gomez, 22.Stephen Ollivierie, 16.Ability Hazel, 5.Akil Henry; 13.Theron O’Brien, 11.Stephano Christopher (26.Malachi Noreiga 73), 15.Darren De Four (10.Darian Marfan 61); 17.Jemaul Ashing (captain), 9.Tyrell Stapleton, 29.Jaydon Critchlow (7.Mark Thomas 55).

Unused substitutes: 12.Josiah Thomas (GK), 4.Garrick Thomas, 6.Jeremy Joseph, 8.Armani Ceres, 18.Zion Metivier, 19.O’Neil Dyer, 21.Ezekiel Ramdialsingh, 27.Agyei Des Vignes, 30.Tyler Ayers.

Coach: Wayne Sheppard

San Juan North Secondary (4-4-1-1): 1.Xavion Haynes (GK); 14.Desailly Lewis, 2.Joshua Lewis (captain), 6.Jaheshua Ferguson, 15.Kent Guy; 11.Jadiel Joseph, 17.Jahdel Chase-Charles, 8.Nathan Quashie, 7.Elizsha Rogers (4.Mathyyas Charles 76); 10.Lindell Sween; 21.Jaheem Danclar.

Unused substitutes: 30.Stephon Langaigne (GK), 3.Michael Greenaway, 5.Hakeem Bartholomew, 12.Michael Hem Lee, 23.Michel Baptiste, 23.Michel Baptiste, 24.Nahi Morrison.

Coach: Jerry Moe

Referee: Andrew Samuel

Central Intercol final

(Monday 20 November)

Chaguanas North Sec 1 (Nekayse Moore), Miracle Ministries PHS 0 at Edinburgh 500;

East Intercol final

(Tuesday 21 November)

San Juan North 0, Arima North Sec 0 at Larry Gomes Stadium;

*–Arima win 15-14 on kicks from the penalty mark

Tobago Intercol final

(Wednesday 22 November)

Speyside High v Bishop’s High, 5.15pm, Dwight Yorke Stadium;

North Intercol final

(Thursday 23 November)

QRC v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium;

South Intercol final

(Friday 24 November)

St Benedict’s College v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Mahaica Sporting Complex;

National Intercol quarterfinal

(Tuesday 28 November)

QRC/ St Anthony’s College v Chaguanas North Secondary, 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;

National Intercol semifinals

(Thursday 30 December)

St Benedict’s/ Presentation (San F’do) v Arima North Sec, 4.15pm, Mahaica Oval;

(Friday 1 December)

QRC/ St Anthony’s/ Chaguanas v Speyside/ Bishop’s, 4pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium;

National Intercol finals

(Thursday 7 December)