San Juan back in National Intercol final

SAN JUAN North stormed into their second successive Coca Cola National Intercol final, with a 5-0 hammering of Signal Hill in yesterday’s semi-final encounter at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima.

Isaiah Chase and captain Renaldo Boyce each scored twice for the Jerry Moe-coached side, as they booked a place in Tuesday’s final.

They will now await the winners of today’s other semi-final contest, between Naparima and St Anthony’s, which takes place from 3.30 pm at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.

In the 2017 National Intercol final, San Juan were beaten 2-0 by Shiva Boys at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

Yesterday, in front of a sparse crowd at Arima, San Juan took full advantage of an over-matched Signal Hill squad to move a step closer to atoning for last year’s setback.

Chase started the goal-spree in the 21st minute.

Eliar Brewster went down the left and sent a cross which was met, on the right by Darion Warner. The midfielder teed up an unmarked Chase who unleashed a right-footer which flew past the right hand of Signal Hill’s captain and goalkeeper Duvaughn Daniel.

On the half-hour mark, Warner got his name on the scoresheet. A long throw from the left by Kyle Thomas was poorly cleared by the Signal Hill defence, and Warner slapped home a left-footed shot past the left of a diving Daniel.

Another defensive lapse, in the 64th, allowed San Juan substitute Christon Mitchell to go down the right and send a ball which went behind Boyce, but Chase was on hand to drill his right-footer to the roof of the net.

Boyce, the San Juan skipper and centre-forward, netted his team’s fourth goal in the 73rd, as he met a pass from Mitchell and slapped the ball into the open net.

And Boyce completed the scoring in the 90th, when he chested a cross from the left by Chase and placed his left-footed shot past the outstretched right leg of Daniel.