Two goals in the space of two minutes from Khaleem Prince and Diaz from the penalty spot and another from captain Deisean Plaza in the second half propelled Trinity College East to a 3-2 win over Malick Secondary in the Premier Division of the Secondary Schools Football League at the Arima Velodrome, on Wednesday (September 25).
They have also climbed one spot up the standings, moving from 11th to 10th.
Malick entered the match as the third-place team and expectedly settled quickly, but they struggled with their final passes in the Trinity College defensive third. Despite this, Malick, seasoned campaigners in the top-flight SSFL, looked the more likely team to score.
Ronaldinho Richards threaded one to Sealy in the 17th minute, but his foot speed was not quick enough to get him to the ball before the advancing goalkeeper, Jadon Pollard. Seven minutes later, Richards made a thumping shot from the wide left that troubled nerves for the Malixck fans, as the ball just whisked past the Trinity College goalpost.
But against the run of play, Trinity College drew first blood. From an earlier attack from Tyrese Manswell inside the Trinity goal area in the 36th minute, the ball was sent long, setting Prince on a one-on-one with goalkeeper Omarion Worrell, and he calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing custodian for a 1-0 advantage.
Less than a minute later, the Arouca lads went two goals up. This time Malick’s defender Hakeem Bartholomew went hastily with a crunching tackle that swept Anderson Barnwell off his feet inside his own goal area, forcing the referee to point to the penalty spot. Defender Zahir Ramkeesoon stepped up, putting the ball powerfully past Worrell for a 2-0 scoreline, which they took to the halftime interval.
Upon their return, however, there was hardly any change to the on-the-field play, as the Trinity College men went in search of a third goal. And in the 63rd minute, they would not be denied, as captain Plaza raced into the Malick box to connect with a left-side corner sweetly on the head for a comfortable 3-0 advantage.
The game seemed to be done and dusted in the minutes that followed, despite the many attacks from Malick. But instead, it was turned upside-down by a last-ditch flurry in the dying moments from Malick.
Substitute striker Jaquan Phillips pulled the game with two goals, taking the ball nicely from a long right side cross before hitting low and hard past Pollard in the 83rd minute.
And four minutes later the Northerners cut the game to within a goal when Manswell, who haunted the Trinity College defence all afternoon long, was put through on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and hit it beyond the grasp of the custodian for a 3-2 scoreline.
Spurred on by a chanting crowd, the Malick lads tried hard for a share of the points, but the Easterners held off for the win.
Fatima maintained their lead with a convincing 4-1 triumph over San Juan North at Mucurapo, which took them to 13 points.
The 2023 League winners got goals from Savio Yearwood, Kaden Trestrail, Michael Chaves, and Jaheim Bailey for the win, despite the lone strike from San Juan, which came from instrumental midfielder Lindell Sween.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
QRC 2 (Phillip Nelson 2) vs CIC- 0
East Mucurapo 1 (Hezekiah Charles) vs Miracle Ministries 0
Naps 1 (Israel Joseph) vs Arima North 1 (Christon Gomez)
Fatima 4 (Savio Yearwood, Kaden Trestrail, Michael Chaves, Jaheim Bailey) vs San Juan North 1 (Lindell Sween)
Trinity College 3 (Khaleem Prince, Zahir Ramkeesoon, Deisean Plaza) vs Malick Secondary 2 (Jaquan Phillips, Tyrese Manswell)
LATEST STANDINGS
Teams*P*W*D*L*F*A*Pts
1. Fatima*5*4*1*0*16*2*13
2. St Benedict’s*4*3*1*0*6*2*10
3. Arima North*5*2*3*0*10*3*9
4. Presentation*4*3*0*1*9*3*9
5. Malick*5*2*2*1*12*9*8
6. Naparima*5*2*2*1*7*5*8
7. Signal Hill*5*2*1*2*10*11*7
8. St Anthony’s*4*2*0*2*9*5*6
9. QRC*5*2*0*3*7*7*6
10. Trinity East*5*2*0*3*10*11*6
11. San Juan North*5*2*0*3*8*10*6
12. St Mary’s*5*1*1*3*5*14*4
13. St Augustine*3*1*0*2*1*6*3
14. Miracle Ministries*5*1*0*4*2*17*3
15. East Mucurapo*4*1*0*3*3*6*3
16. Speyside*3*0*1*2*5*8*1
