SSFL 24: Zoom Zoom tricks St Augustine, St Benedict’s hit “Green Machine” for six

“We won’t say the title race is over,” said St Benedict’s College assistant coach Clint McMillan. “You can’t count eggs from a fowl’s bamsee…”

Well, that was one way to put it. The St Benedict’s football team were arguably a tad more eloquent as they brushed aside St Augustine Secondary 6-0 today with an impressive performance at the Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin.

The win saw the “La Romaine Lions” continue their beeline to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division crown, as they maintained a six-point gap over second-placed Presentation College (San Fernando) with just four rounds remaining.

The “Pres Lions”, who came from behind to defeat St Anthony’s College 3-1 in Westmoorings today, have a game in hand, and are yet to play St Benedict’s this season.

The two south heavyweight schools meet next Wednesday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium and, almost certainly, it will be a case of winner-takes-all.

St Benedict’s have 31 points from 11 games (with 10 wins and one draw) while Presentation have 25 points from 10 outings.

Defending champions Fatima College are not totally out of the frame, but they would need the top two schools to slip to have any chance of retaining their trophy.

Fatima spanked Trinity College East 4-1 today at Mucurapo Road—a result which saw the “Blue Hawks” drop into the relegation zone.

Speyside High climbed out of the bottom three with a 3-1 home win over Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School today.

Trinidad and Tobago National Under-16 midfielder Riquelme Phillips scored all three goals for Speyside, who held Fatima and Naparima College to ties in their last two matches—both played in Trinidad.

It is fair to say that it has been a very satisfying week for Speyside then.

But for St Augustine coach Tacuma Jones? Not so much.

Having basically climbed their way to safety with 14 points from their first nine matches, the “Green Machine” are set to drop to within three points of the relegation zone. This is due to their use of an “unregistered” player, attacker Shumba Cudjoe, earlier in the season.

“Today, we expected St Augustine to come out like a wounded tiger because of the points they [are set to be] deducted,” the St Benedict’s assistant coach told Wired868.

But, in the same breath, McMillan suggested that wounded tigers are not particularly intimidating for La Romaine Lions.

“In the history of the Premier Division, since it started back in 2022, we had a nice score against [St Augustine],” said McMillan, in reference to St Benedict’s 14-1 dismantling of the Green Machine in the 2022 season.

“[…] We told them let us make history repeat itself by getting some more [big] goal-scoring numbers.”

Captain and star attacker Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia presumably responded: “Say no more, coach…”

The 17-year-old Garcia was unplayable today.

St Benedict’s employ a lopsided 4-3-3 formation with right back Lyshaun Morris far more likely to join the attack than Elijah George on the other flank. But the jewel is at the tip of their spear.

Zoom Zoom begins and ends each play in the centre forward position. In between, he drifts all over the field to cause disarray in the opposition’s ranks.

Two years ago, when he came to prominence with the 2022 St Benedict’s title-winning team, Garcia was a dashing dribbler. Judging from today’s showing, he has replaced the machine gun with the sniper’s rifle.

For much of the 72 minutes that he spent on the field, Garcia played in two touches—as he cushioned short passes for his midfielders to advance on to, or clipped first-time balls for his wingers to chase.

Every touch seemed to be thoroughly thought through, only they came and went so quickly that St Augustine’s overworked defenders always seemed a few steps behind, like the befuddled policeman in the movies chasing after a slick criminal:

“Did anyone see where he went?!”

St Augustine’s problems today started with their inability to get out of their own half of the field, with their build-up play decidedly ineffective against the La Romaine-based outfit.

And with Garcia full of vigour and innovation, one sensed what was on the cards.

St Benedict’s probably did not need much help today—but they got it anyway from St Augustine goalkeeper Tyrese Henry.

Henry came and missed a Josiah Ochoa corner kick in the 14th minute, with Garcia drilling home the loose ball. Five minutes later, he spilled an Ochoa cross, with midfielder Kylon Cayenne gleefully putting away the rebound.

Fourteen-year-old St Augustine defender Kenai Richardson, a national Under-14 player, was at fault for the game’s third goal as he bundled over Cayenne in the area for a straightforward penalty decision.

Ochoa converted in the 28th minute, although Henry got a hand to the ball.

There were glimpses of skill from St Augustine attacker Elijah Baptiste and Cudjoe, which suggested that St Benedict’s did have some defensive vulnerabilities.

However, St Augustine’s offensive moves were not well coordinated, with their attackers lacking the support to make inroads.

Zoom Zoom stepped inside opposing left back Aaden Maharaj to beat Henry with a low, spanking left-footer in the 33rd minute. And, in the 35th minute, Garcia drove home from the penalty spot with his right boot after the referee ruled that St Augustine defender Simon Kirk had fouled Morris inside the penalty area, rather than just outside of it.

Fourteen-year-old attacker Elijah David then produced the goal of the afternoon in the 43rd minute as he stepped in off the left flank and curled a dipping right-footed effort that went into the far corner off the underside of the bar.

“Hey, let we not drop our standard eh!” Garcia warned his teammates.

Cayenne hit the bar off a pass from David in first-half stoppage time, while Ethan Trotman cracked an effort off the post after being teed up by Garcia.

But, surprisingly, there were no more goals in the contest.

With 20 minutes to go, head coach Randolph Boyce turned to his bench as Garcia, Morris, Trotman and defender Sahrai Mitchell were withdrawn. They will have bigger fish to fry soon.

St Benedict’s host Signal Hill Secondary on Saturday. After winning their first two matches, the Tobago team are now winless in their last seven outings—a run that comprises three draws and four defeats.

McMillan insisted that the runaway leaders will not take Signal Hill for granted.

“If you meet a team that is well-spirited [and] well-oiled on a match day and you come complacent, it could help change the result,” said McMillan.

So, the Lions won’t be peeking up the fowl’s posterior on his watch, then. But it cannot be easy to keep both feet on the ground when your leader is in divine form.

“I wouldn’t say that [Garcia is the best player in the SSFL this season] as yet because you have to lift the trophy first with the performance that you’re giving,” said McMillan. “When he lifts the [Premier Division] trophy, you can say that. But for right now, he is performing with his role and function.

“[…] What I will say is he is bringing a lot of love to the camp. He is functioning as a leader and you can see that they are working together with one another. They are showing the love and the communication.

“I am sure you can see it on the field with the combination plays and so on.”

Presentation captain and central defender Cody Cooper, son of head coach Shawn Cooper, will have his work cut out for him next Wednesday.

Not that McMillan would want to look beyond Signal Hill on Sunday. Leave the damn fowl alone!

Teams

St Benedict’s College (4-3-3): 22.Thane Devenish (GK); 19.Lyshaun Morris (6.Salim Soanes 72), 17.Joshua Figaro, 5.Sahrai Mitchell (2.Isaiah David 72), 13.Elijah George; 12.Josiah Ochoa, 4.Adam Pierre (21.Thierry Ash 81), 3.Kylon Cayenne; 20.Elijah David, 10.Derrel Garcia (captain) (9.Jelani Stoute 72), 11.Ethan Trotman (18.Kieron Hinds 72).

Unused substitutes: 1.Naftali Charles (GK), 8.Ruben Phillips, 7.Giovanni McKnight, 14.Josiah Barrow, 15.Malik Young, 16.Kai Robertson.

Coach: Randolph Boyce

St Augustine Secondary (4-2-3-1): 1.Tyrese Henry (GK); 14.Kenai Richardson, 13.Mathis Cruickshank, 2.Simon Kirk, 12.Aaden Maharaj; 4.Jarzinho Joslyn (17.Jayden Solozano 46), 6.Tyrese Andrews (captain) (23.Romario Sambrano 90+2); 8.Marcel Valentine, 11.Giovanni Hospedales, 18.Shumba Cudjoe; 10.Elijah Baptiste (25.Michael Charles 86).

Unused substitutes: 3.Keshauun Wright, 5.Rivalio Douen, 9.Donte Gordon, 15.Jareem Thomas,16.Riquelme McCollin, 22.Joel Keel.

Coach: Tacuma Jones

Premier Division results

(Wed 16 Oct)

Fatima College 4 (Caden Trestrail 18, 57, Luke Correia 51 Jahaem Bailey 79), Trinity College East 1 (Jonathan Emritt 88) at Mucurapo Road;

St Mary’s College 4 (Joshua Charlerie 22, Kyle Phillip 48, Alejandro Harper 57, OG), San Juan North 0 at Serpentine Road;

St Benedict’s College 6 (Derrel Garcia 14, 33, 37 pen, Kylon Cayenne 19, Josiah Ochoa 28 pen, Elijah David 43), St Augustine Secondary 0 at Mahaica Sporting Complex;

St Anthony’s College 1 (Andell Fraser 15), Presentation (San F’do) 3 (Caleb Boyce 16, Vaughn Clement 35, 76) at Westmoorings;

Naparima College 1 (Israel Joseph 50), Queen’s Royal College 1 (Jasai Theophilus 23) at Lewis Street;

East Mucurapo Secondary 1 (Khedosa Batson 82), Malick Secondary 3 (Lyndell George 16, Tyrese Manswell 35, Omilio Millard 90) at QRC ground;

Speyside High 3 (Riquelme Phillips 2, 41, 84), Miracle Ministries PHS 1 (Terriq Thomas 77) at Speyside.

Upcoming fixtures

(Sat 19 Oct)

Arima North Secondary v St Mary’s College, 3.30pm, Arima Velodrome;

Fatima College v East Mucurapo Secondary, 3.30pm, Mucurapo Road;

St Benedict’s College v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Mahaica Sporting Complex;

Miracle Ministries PHS v Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Edinburgh 500;

Queen’s Royal College v Trinity College East, 3.30pm, QRC;

San Juan North v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Bourg Mulatrasse;

Speyside High v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Speyside.

St Augustine Secondary v Naparima College, 3.30pm, Warren Street.