Unbeatean Fatima face hungry ‘Lions’ in SSFL’s Round 7

Fresh from their dramatic 5-2 victory away to San Juan North Secondary on Saturday, new Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division leaders Fatima College will welcome Presentation College (San Fernando) to their home ground in Mucurapo on Wednesday to highlight round seven.

Fatima (16 points) are now the only unbeaten team left in the 16-team division, with Naparima College and San Juan (both 15 points) sitting in second and third spots respectively. Fatima's streak of five consecutive clean sheets finally ended on the weekend. However, the Hutson Charles-coached team showed their resolve in Bourg Mulatresse as they scored three times in the dying minutes of the game to grab all three points, despite going down to ten men. From 4 pm on Mucurapo Road, the defending Intercol champions will face another stern test from the fourth-placed "Pres Lions" (11 points).

At QRC Grounds on Serpentine Road in St Clair, the "Royalians" of QRC will be looking to shake off their 4-3 loss to rivals St Mary's College when they welcome a struggling Chaguanas North Secondary team, which is currently in 15th spot. Last year, the teams battled to an entertaining 2-2 draw in St Clair in their premier-division encounter. On Wednesday, both will fancy getting three points as they aim to avoid the dreaded relegation zone.

Also on Serpentine Road in St Clair, Malick Secondary (six points) will aim to get back to winning ways when they host sixth-placed Arima North Secondary (nine points) at St Mary's Grounds. Arima put an end to Naparima's winning streak on Saturday and will be confident of getting a win on the road.

In Tobago, the fifth-placed Speyside Secondary (ten points) will host ninth-placed East Mucurapo nine points at the former school's ground in Speyside. Meantime, the 14th-placed Bishop's High School Tobago will host eighth-placed St Mary's (nine points) at the Plymouth Recreation Ground.

On Saturday, St Mary's captain Kyle Phillip surged to the top of the premier division scoring charts with a hat-trick as his team overturned a 3-0 deficit against QRC. In Plymouth, captain Phillip will do his best to add to his league-leading tally of eight goals. Both games in Tobago will start at 3.30 pm.

In the televised match at Lewis Street in San Fernando, Naparima will try to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they entertain reigning premier division champs St Benedict's College (eight points). Benedict's are currently tenth in the standings and will face a tough task against their fellow south powerhouse, who have scored a league-high 32 goals after six matches. This game will also kick off at 3.30 pm.

Elsewhere, seventh-placed St Anthony's College (nine points) will host the cellar-placed Pleasantville Secondary at the former school's ground in Westmoorings. Pleasantville is the only team still to register a win in the premier division.

Closing off round seven, San Juan will host the 13th-placed Trinity College East in Bourg Mulatresse, San Juan. These teams met in last year's east zone Intercol final, with Trinity ending San Juan's impressive run of four straight east intercol wins. Bragging rights and precious points will be on the line in the teams' 2023 league meeting in Bourg.

SSFL premier division standings:

Team GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

1.Fatima 6*5*1*0*23*2*21*16

2.Naparima 6*5*0*1*32*3*29*15

3.San Juan North 6*5*0*1*16*9*7*15

4.Presentation Sando 6*3*2*1*9*3*6*11

5.Speyside 6*3*1*2*10*7*3*10

6.Arima North 6*2*3*1*11*4*7*9

7.St Anthony's 6*3*0*3*15*11*4*9

8.St Mary's 6*3*0*3*18*19*-1*9

9.East Mucurapo 6*3*0*3*8*16*-8*9

10.St Benedict's 6*2*2*2*8*6*2*8

11.Malick 6*2*0*4*15*9*6*6

12.QRC 6*2*0*4*7*10*-3*6

13.Trinity East 5*1*2*2*6*7*-1*5

14.Bishop's Tobago 5*1*0*4*2*11*-9*3

15.Chaguanas North 6*1*0*5*2*36*-34*3

16.Pleasantville 6*0*1*5*3*32*-29*1