San Juan edge Signal Hill 1-0 in Intercol semis

San Juan North will be seeking to retain their Coca- Cola National Intercol crown on Monday, when the final takes place at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

Yesterday, in the first semi-final at the Ato Boldon Stadium, San Juan North edged Signal Hill 1-0 in a largely forgettable affair.

Captain and striker Renaldo Boyce found the back of the net in the 54th minute to continue his team’s quest for back-to-back crowns. Boyce, a muscularly-built player, took advantage of a massive lapse in concentration by Signal Hill defender Ajamo Alfred to take away the ball and drive his right-footed shot past the left of goalkeeper Duvaughn Daniel.

At that time, Signal Hill were down to 10 men as midfielder Jokiah Leacock received his second yellow card, from referee Nicholas Murray, after a tough tackle on Brandon Semper, two minutes into the second half.

Chances for each team were at a premium in the first half, with both goalkeepers having precious little to do, bar the odd shot on goal.

After taking the lead, San Juan North decided on a defence-first option, while Signal Hill, already with a man-disadvantage, offered little up front.

Semper forced Daniel to produce a fine save from a left-footed freekick, on the right, in the 56th while Boyce picked up a ball inside the penalty box but could not keep down his powerfully-struck right-footed shot.

The best chance for Signal Hill came from defender Jabari George, who tried a right-footed drive from 25 metres out but his effort sailed over bar.