San Juan score East Zone Intercol hat-trick

SAN JUAN North Secondary were crowned deserved champions of the Coca-Cola East Zone Intercol for the third year running, following a 1-1 draw and a nail-biting 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over rivals Trinity College East yesterday.

At Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, after an exciting 90 minutes failed to provide a winner, all but one player – Stefan Hoyte – converted their spot kick. Trinity College opened the scoring in the 67th minute, after midfielder Tyrique Sutherland’s goal-bound shot deflected off a defender and sailed agonisingly over the head of San Juan’s shot-stopper Emmanuel Clarke.

The goal came against the run of play as Trinity East spent much of the fixture defending long-range throw-ins, corners and speculative shots from San Juan North.

Sutherland’s goal then invited another barrage of attacks from a defiant San Juan North team. Trinity East and their goalkeeper Khalil Oliver were doing well to hold off their rivals but the wave after wave of attacks proved too much.

San Juan North eventually got their breakthrough through one of their 14 corner kick attempts.

Just minutes before, San Juan’s Elisha Garcia had headed an effort from a corner which deflected just wide. In the subsequent set-play, the ball fell kindly to substitute Christon Mitchell, and with Trinity failing to clear immediately, Mitchell smashed the ball past a helpless Oliver.

Trinity then defended desperately but effectively up to the final whistle. The exhausted players of San Juan North dug deep despite being visibly fatigued and confidently slotted their five efforts past Oliver.

Trinity’s players also wrong-footed Clarke in their attempts from the penalty spot, but his reflexes weren’t required to save Hoyte’s effort which smashed onto the crossbar.

San Juan North celebrated a third straight East Zone title and have moved into the National Intercol competition. They will join the champions of the South, Central, Tobago and North Zones, three of whom will be determined today in their respective finals.

Trinity College Moka will face St Anthony’s College in the North Zone final at St Mary’s College Ground, St Clair, from 3.30 pm.

At the same time, the Central Zone final will be played between Chaguanas North Secondary and Carapichaima East Secondary at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. Signal Hill and Speyside will meet in the Tobago Zone final at Mt Pleasant from 3 pm.