A plethora of defensive blunders by the QRC defence, coupled with an unquenchable thirst by the Fatima attackers, gifted the latter the North Zone Intercol title on Friday 5-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in Port-of-Spain.
The Royalians, expected to be no match for their more superior opponents, appeared to have been unsurprisingly eager to hand the title to their Mucurapo Road counterparts, courtesy of basic blunders in their defence for a team in the Premier Division of the Tiger Tanks Secondary Schools Football League.
The game was just two minutes old when Fatima took the lead. Christian Bailey raced on to a lifted pass on the right flank and whipped the ball in for the unmarked Michael Chaves. However, a mix-up between goalkeeper Christiano Austin and defender Phillip Gray, gifted an almost surprised Chaves the ball to steer into an empty net for the 1-0 Fatima advantage.
Thereafter, it was all Fatima, dominating all departments of the game. In the 15th minute, Bailey was again the architect of his team's second goal. He picked out Chaim Williams lurking at the back post with a lifted pass and the latter, under no pressure from the QRC defence, calmly slipped the ball under the legs of the advancing Austin at his first post for a 2-0 lead.
By then the game had been dead and buried, as the Royalians struggle continued. Their attempt to convert defence into attack in the 24th minute cost them dearly. Phillip, on the right side of QRC's defence, was then robbed of the ball by Bailey as he lazily approached a back pass.
Bailey then raced into the QRC penalty area and slipped the ball past the hapless Austin for a 3-0 advantage.
The Royalians, credited for twice winning after going behind against Tranquility and Malick recently, thought they could have had a repeat when a one-two down the left flank saw Kaylon Tuckett centre for the oncoming Nathan Quashie. But with all the time in the world, Quashie failed to control the ball as he hit it high over the crossbar.
Four minutes from the half-time interval, Chaves added his second goal of the game. Austin, from the goal kick, lashed it to Zakari King, who in return sent the ball back to him. Austin then handed the ball to Chaves under pressure, and the talented Chaves just had to hit the ball into the empty net for the 4-0 lead, as they went to the break.
Coach Kenwyne Jones employed a more defensive strategy in the second half and it helped QRC stem the flow of goals from the constant pursuit of the Fatima men.
However, the Royalians could not prevent the fifth goal in time added on, when Austin went low to keep out Bailey's shot but pushed it into the path of Alijah Nunes to complete the rout.
Afterwards, Fatima coach Hutson Charles said they are aiming at the national Intercol title and they will be ready to take on anybody they come up against.
Results
Fatima 5 (Michael Chaves 2nd, 41st, Chaim Williams 15th, Christian Bailey 24th, Alijah Nunes 90+2) vs QRC 0
