St Augustine whip MMPHS, chaos in Tobago and more protests, in explosive Big 5 finale

“Coming back from [relegation from] the Premier Division in 2022, this means a lot to us—to make a statement,” St Augustine Secondary head coach Tacuma Jones told Wired868.

Yesterday afternoon, the “Green Machine” put the cherry on top of their promotion to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division, as their 3-0 win over Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School (MMPHS) at Edinburgh 500 meant they finished as SSFL Big Five winners as well.

Miracle Ministries Pentecostal head coach Kern Cupid was beaten but unbowed, as they finished third on the Big Five standings to secure the final promotion spot available.

“At the end of the day, job done,” said Cupid. “Our main objective was premiership football and, God willing the result stays as is, we are inside.”

Who knows what God’s will is where the Big Five is concerned anymore?

In Tobago, Signal Hill Secondary needed a win to leapfrog Blanchissese Secondary into the Premier Division, but trailed 1-0 after 90 minutes. Remarkably, they scored twice in a matter of seconds to climb from fourth to second place in the standings—and, more important, to also gain promotion.

“Last year, before the beginning of the season, I told the guys if I have to choose a moment to qualify as success for the season, then I prefer to qualify [for the Premier Division] in third place than to win the Tobago Intercol,” said Marcelle. “We feel as if we achieved what we set out to do in 2023, extended in 2024. It is mission accomplished!”

So, the final 2023/24 Big Five fixture is played and the standings adjusted to suit. Is that finally it then?

Hah!

Fifth-placed Moruga Secondary have protested MMPHS’ only win of the competition, which came at Tompierre Trace, Moruga on Monday—due to the fact that the visiting team made six substitutions during the match.

(Match commissioner Austin Perilion, according to Cupid, declared that a broken arm suffered by MMPHS midfielder Shevon Lallo qualified the Central Zone Championship winners for an additional “trauma substitution”, although Fifa offers no such luxury.)

If the rules of the game were violated, is Perilion culpable? Or referee Gerard Davis? Or is it Cupid?

And, if it is the latter party, what would be a fitting punishment for an extra sub made in second half stoppage time with Miracle Ministries already leading 3-0?

Cupid, incidentally, has to appear before the SSFL Disciplinary Committee for another incident on 20 February when he grabbed Signal Hill Secondary player Imanhi Forbes by the throat near the end of a Big Five match.

Forbes was taunting the Miracle Ministries bench after he thought his team had scored a late winner.

Remarkably, despite the serious nature of the allegations, the SSFL has still not ruled on the matter—more than two weeks later.

Then this evening, there was another brawl as Blanchisseuse fans and players reacted aggressively to a late red card to defender Zakiyus Kirk, which followed two stoppage time goals.

Kirk’s cousin and Blanchisseuse star forward Roger Kirk was sent off in the 79th minute for a second bookable offence—after referee Keon Yorke penalised the attacker for delaying the restart of play.

At that stage, Blanchisseuse were ahead 1-0, courtesy of a Roger Kirk goal. If the match finished that way, Blanchisseuse would have qualified for the Premier Division while Signal Hill would stay in the second tier.

Even with a draw, Blanchisseuse would celebrate their first ever ascension to the SSFL top flight.

Could the north coast boys complete the 90 minutes without conceding twice?

Blanchisseuse did just that. But it still was not enough.

The referee gave five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half. And Forbes—moved from central defence to centre forward for the closing minutes by Marcelle—scored a free kick in the 91st minute and then from open play in the 93rd.

Yorke showed a straight red card to Zakiyus in the 94th minute for foul and abusive language, then all hell broke loose.

“Emotions are high, given the importance of the game—you have to try to quell things and not make them escalate,” said Marcelle. “Some of the fans were really aggressive and went in the referee’s face. Some of the Blanchisseuse players wanted to attack our players. It was terrible.

“We had no interest in any rab. We remembered what happened at the end of the Miracle Ministries game and we were not going to let that happen again.”

Blanchisseuse principal Hashim Johnson, whose players were followed to the Sister Isle by roughly 200 villagers willing them to promotion, said the manner of their defeat in such a high stakes affair was too much for them.

“We lost two players to red cards that fans didn’t agree with,” said Johnson. “I think my players got in a scuffle with some players from signal hill and the game never restarted. The game just spiralled into chaos.”

Johnson denounced the behaviour of some of his school’s players and fans.

“It was unfortunate that the game ended the way it did,” said Johnson. “Unfortunately, the officiating was an issue and that is what caused what happened at the end. My boys felt as if they were playing against 14 men.

“I am very disappointed with their reactions. What they did on the field should not be tolerated. But again, emotions would run high.”

Even as the referee’s report is bound to condemn the behaviour of the Blanchisseuse contingent, the North Zone Championship winners are reviewing footage of the match themselves to see if they can counter-claim that Yorke’s officiating cost them a Premier Division spot.

All the while, Johnson admitted, they would be paying close attention to the issue of Miracle Ministries’ sixth substitution.

If the SSFL mete out the ultimate sanction to MMPHS, they would finish with two points and end up bottom of the table. Moruga Secondary and Blanchisseuse would both have four points, but the latter team have a better goal difference.

Even before the 2023 Big Five competition kicked off on the playing field, it spent three months in various SSFL boardrooms—as the Credentials Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Appeals Committee and, finally, the Arbitration Committee ruled on registration errors committed by Moruga and Miracle Ministries Pentecostal.

Maybe it is fitting that the Big Five looks destined to end with off-field rumblings too.

Forgive St Augustine for wondering what all the fuss is about, though. Over four matches, the Green Machine took three wins and a draw and certainly did not need favours from anyone.

Today was typical fare from Jones’ troops on the dusty, bouncy Edinburgh 500 surface.

Anchored by the solid defensive triangle of stoppers Ethan Friday and Shermarki Wills and holding midfielder Tyrese Andrews, St Augustine first drain their opponents of attacking impetus.

And then they grasp their moment at the other end.

Midfielder Giovanni Hospedales carried the torch for the Green Machine’s offence today. In the 56th minute, he exchanged passes with substitute Jahmarley Caleb and tip-toed straight through the centre of the Miracle Ministries defence to slam past opposing goalkeeper Kieron Guy.

It was the first goal conceded by MMPHS in the competition. And within 20 minutes, the St Augustine playmaker got two more.

Hospedales’ flicked effort—after a Caleb shot deflected off Miracle Ministries defender Terriq Thomas—spun farcically through Guy’s legs for the second item in the 64th minute.

And in the 73rd minute, Hospedales got his hattrick with a free header at the back door off a Friday free kick. The entire Miracle Ministries defence appeared to be having a nap at the time.

Cupid suggested that inexperience and a lack of composure undid his players, as the St Augustine midfield trio of Andrews, Hospedales and Marcel Valentine took control of the game.

“I honestly believe we conceded three soft goals,” said Cupid. “We wanted to be solid and we wanted to be compact. Kudos to St Augustine for sticking to their game plan, which eventually paid off. But job well done [to my boys] still.”

In Tobago, Marcelle described their contest with Blanchisseuse as “a bit of a scrap”, as his young players were not able to impose their passing game on their visitors and, instead, joined in on a physical game of “backs and forwards”.

Needing two goals, Signal Hill “emptied the kitchen sink” at Blanchisseuse. The tactic eventually paid off against the short-handed visitors.

“We want to give thanks to God—it has been an extremely long season,” said Marcelle. “We want to mention the commitment from teachers and parents and our principal (Arianne Garcia-D’Abreau).

“And I’d like to thank my assistant coach Nave Roach, my goalkeeper coach Kwesi Sandy, and medic Mervyn McMillan, who were all instrumental in our success.”

Signal Hill might still be curious to see whether Blanchisseuse come up with something worth protesting from today’s match footage. While Cupid has more than a bit to be nervous about himself, as he prepares for another trip to the SSFL Disciplinary Committee and awaits a ruling on his six substitutions against Moruga.

In comparison, it is all tranquil at St Augustine where Jones wasted no time in reinstating his troops in the SSFL top flight.

“I would like to thank my principal (Nechole Seemungal) for keeping me [as head coach] because I know other administrations might have said let’s go another way,” said Jones. “She had faith in me.”

The St Augustine coach and teacher credited the schoolboy players too for making his job a relatively simple one.

“A lot of the players are in form five and form six so they have a different level of understanding,” he said. “I had less to do in my job as a coach. I had more to do with managing the players than coaching.”

After a disappointing debut season, Jones has a zonal crown and a national trophy to go with it. He hopes they are the first of many titles to come.

“I know this school has an illustrious history and they expect a lot from us,” said Jones. “So we are looking for the ‘Gustine community to come out and support these guys.

“Look out for more titles. We are trying to bring back that winning culture and winning spirit, also with an academic presence as well.”

St Augustine are back among the big fish. Signal Hill too, we think. And also Miracle Ministries Pentecostal, maybe.

(Teams)

Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School (4-1-2-3): 1.Kieron Guy (GK); 3.Terriq Thomas, 4.Miqel Samuel (captain), 21.Mathias Squires, 2.Isaiah Mitchell; 7.Keon Codrington (5.Jerrod Modeste 70); 17.Aaron Clement (10.Kyle Holder 70), 12.Rolando Samuel (34.O’Neil Melville 88); 11.Judah Chinapoo, 9.Jabari Rodriguez, 15.Daniel Blacks.

Unused substitutes: 13.Jadon Whiskey, 16.Jadell Henry, 22.Aadi Ramdhanie.

Coach: Kern Cupid

St Augustine Secondary (4-3-3): 24.Madison Lewis (GK); 22.Jaylon Assalam, 23.Shermarki Wills, 3.Ethan Friday, 2.Zion Dannett; 6.Tyrese Andrews (captain); 14.Marcel Valentine (17.Adriano Telesford 90), 11.Giovanni Hospedales (7.Carlus Charles 82); 13.Jubrili Williams (8.Jahmarley Caleb 50), 21.Jamell Cooper (15.Israel Carter 82), 20.Elijah Baptiste (10.Nkosi Fuentes 70).

Unused substitutes: 1.Jahsiah Edwards (GK), 5.Jeremiah Jagroop.

Coach: Tacuma Jones

Referee: Akil Weekes

SSFL Big Five results

(Friday 8 March)

Miracle Ministries PHS 0, St Augustine Secondary 3 (Giovanni Hospedales 56, 63, 67) at Edinburgh 500;

Signal Hill Secondary 2 (Imani Forbes 90+1, 90+3), Blanchisseuse Secondary 1 (Roger Kirk 4 pen) at Signal Hill;

*–Red cards: Roger Kirk and Zakiyus Kirk.

Moruga Secondary are on a bye