SSFL 25: Signal Hill get it Wright against QRC to keep title chase on track

Signal Hill Secondary kept their title challenge on track with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over 10-man Queen’s Royal College in St Clair today, as they ground out three valuable points to stay in contention in the SSFL Premier Division.

“It was a bit of a scrap today,” Signal Hill coach Downie Marcelle told Wired868, after the game. “But they did well and we’re grateful.

“At this time of the season, I think performance goes out of the way—we are more interested in the result. We came to Trinidad today and we got the result that we wanted.”

Barely a minute’s drive away, Naparima College moved into first place with a 1-0 win over St Mary’s College on Serpentine Road. “Naps” have 34 points from 14 matches—one more than second placed St Benedict’s College and two more than third placed Presentation College (San Fernando).

Signal Hill are sixth with 22 points, but they have four games in hand. Should they win them all (against St Anthony’s College, St Augustine Secondary, Malick Secondary and Trinity College East), the Tobago outfit would be level on points with Naparima who they meet for the final game of the season.

Winner takes all.

If neither team wins at that stage, both could lose—as St Benedict’s could leapfrog them if the pair play to a tie at Lewis Street, San Fernando.

Signal Hill are some distance from that point at the moment. Today, they faced another test of their mettle on a ground that made slick passing difficult.

Yet the visitors settled well and, kicking with the wind, needed only 13 seconds to register a shot. Right midfielder Kyen Anderson cut infield but dragged his effort wide of 15-year-old QRC goalkeeper Akinlade Jones’ uprights.

Signal Hill were faster and stronger than the boys in blue, and played with more intensity as well. Their front three of Immanual Wright, Jermaine Morgan and J’meke Watkins made life difficult for the hosts, but initially lacked the composure to test Jones.

An already difficult game for the hosts got worse, midway through the first half, when they were reduced to 10 men after a moment of misfortune for goalkeeper Jones.

A long ball over the top sent the rapid Watkins racing clear, and although Jones read the danger well and came off his line quickly, an awkward bounce deceived him.

In a desperate attempt to prevent a certain tap-in, the keeper instinctively stuck out his right hand and cleared the ball outside the box—leaving referee Garfield Weekes little choice but to show him a straight red card.

“The early loss of the goalkeeper and having to make the changes so quickly shifted the whole dynamic—we weren’t able to press how we wanted,” said QRC assistant coach Stefan Theophilus.

“It was one of those games where you had to keep your head up, fight through, battle as hard as you could battle. At the end of the day, Signal Hill wanted it more and they were the better team.”

Despite both their numerical advantage and although they subjected their opponents to relentless pressure, Signal Hill needed a moment of fortune to break the deadlock—as Wright swung a right-side corner directly into the goal in the 34th minute.

Two minutes later, Signal Hill centre back Raevion Marshall, up for a freekick, nearly doubled their lead as he beat substitute goalkeeper Jahiem Affan to the cross, but headed just over.

And, in first half stoppage time, Affan made a fine save from Watkins, who drifted in from the left wing to try his luck.

QRC approached the second half with stout heart, as both teams fought for control of the midfield. However, the visitors continued to get into dangerous positions on the field.

Signal Hill were given a scare in the 86th minute, from one of QRC’s few progressive passing moves. Striker Kai Williams passed to central midfielder Shazard Nabbie, who slipped the ball to industrious winger Gervais Frederick.

But Frederick’s final effort was partially blocked by an opposing defender before being gathered by goalkeeper Kaleb Romeo, who had largely been a spectator up to that point.

Three minutes later, QRC substitute Zion Aberdeen might have done better with an opportunity from about eight yards out—as he shot wide with his right foot when the angle required a left footed effort.

The home team continued to press for an equaliser, but were left exposed in the 90th minute.

Morgan, still full of running, chased what seemed like a hopeless cause when his teammates cleared a promising QRC attack. Opposing centre back Zain Griffith played the ball back to Affan, in an attempt to recycle possession.

However, neither he nor his goalkeeper considered the pressure from Signal Hill attacker Nickel Williams, who forced Affan into a hurried clearance right onto Morgan’s chest. And Morgan killed off the game on his second attempt.

Eight minutes later, referee Weekes blew the final whistle and Signal Hill could return home to recover for their next match.

“It isn’t easy—we have to try our best to manage the boys,” said Marcelle, in reference to their physically taxing schedule due to multiple rescheduled games. “Of course, we have a big squad, so we have to try and rotate the players and try not to lose the balance of the team.

“We have to go home, rest and recover.”

Coach Marcelle refused to be drawn on his team’s title hopes.

“You can’t look at the league table, it has to be one game at a time,” he said. “We had to tell the boys try to stay off of social media and not get too carried away with what they are saying.

“Naps, St Benedict’s and Fatima all have points on the table, we have games to play—so we have to manage our games and not pay attention to the table.”

For QRC, Theophilus said the 2025 season has been a mixed bag.

“We had a good run of four games in a row and then we lost to Fatima 2-1 in which we had a good fight as well,” said the assistant coach. “It is a young squad and we have some time now to work on their technical ability. We’re placed now more or less mid-table, which is where we see ourselves currently—so now we move on to the Intercol.

“We have been in the [North Intercol] final for three seasons in a row and we just hope this one is the tip over to celebrate something. We can only do our best.”

Marcelle wished them well for their sportsmanship, off the field.

“I want to say special thanks to the QRC team,” said Marcelle. “They were a really good host with the accommodations. Since we are coming to Trinidad it is one of the best.

“So special thanks to QRC and big up to the school, we wish them all the best moving forward.”

Teams

Queen’s Royal College (3-4-2-1): 1.Akinlade Jones (GK) [red card 22]; 17.Zain Griffith, 2.Xavier Caruth (5.Elijah Noel 71), 20.Osei Thompson (captain); 15.Jalano Straker, 12.Olumayoma Oladarin (10.Zion Aberdeen 81), 26.Dakari St Hilliare (8.Shazard Nabbie 60), 13.Gervais Frederick; 9.Jasheem Pierre (22.Jahiem Affan GK), 11.Jasai Theophilus (7.Neomiah Thompson 81); 19.Kai Williams.

Unused substitutes: 4.Kyle Narcis, 14.Josh Thavenot, 23.Josiah Thompson, 24.Jadal Henry, 25.Joshua Jackson.

Coach: Kenwyne Jones.

Signal Hill Secondary (3-4-3): 1.Kaleb Romeo (GK); 2.Jaquon Defour, 8.Raevion Marshall, 3.Daishawn Bradshaw (24.Kisean Grant 90+1); 14.Kyen Anderson, 6.Khaleem Trim (5.Callany Job 43), 17.Jediael Marelle (9.Kyle James 68), 18.Ackim Duncan (captain); 12.Immanual Wright (13.Jaden Marcelle 90+1), 10.Jermaine Morgan, 7.J’meke Watkins (19.Nickel Williams 68).

Unused substitutes: 25.Emani Baptiste (GK), 4.Jahmiah Gibbes, 20.Kaden James, 21.Siel Mills, 30.Kodi Cadiz.

Coach: Downie Marcelle.

Referee: Garfield Weekes.

SSFL Premier Division results

(Mon 10 November)

St Mary’s College 0, Naparima College 1 (Jaydon Caprietta 40) at Serpentine Road;

St Anthony’s College 0, St Augustine Secondary 2 (Mikel Murray 29, Donte Gordon 86) at Westmoorings;

Carapichaima East 0, Arima North 4 (Hirshil Parks 41, 62, 77, Darren De Four 66) at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

QRC 0, Signal Hill Sec 2 (Immanual Wright 34, Jermaine Morgan 90) at QRC ground.

Upcoming fixtures

(Thu 13 November)

Signal Hill Sec v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;

Trinity East v Scarborough Secondary, 2.45pm, Trincity;

(Sun 16 November)

Signal Hill Sec v St Augustine Sec, 3.30pm, Signal Hill.

To be rescheduled

Signal Hill Secondary v Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, TBA;

Signal Hill Secondary v Trinity East, 3.30pm, Signal Hill;

Trinity College v Scarborough Secondary, 3.30pm, Moka;

Naparima College v Signal Hill Secondary, 3.30pm, Lewis Street;

Malick Secondary v Fatima College, 3.30pm, TBA;

Trinity East v St Benedict’s College, 3.30pm, Trincity;

Trinity College v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Moka;

Scarborough Secondary v San Juan North, 3.30pm, Shaw Park.