Bishop Anstey East, Port of Spain win big in girls intercol

Bishop Anstey High School (PoS) and Bishop Anstey High School (East) both recorded big wins in zonal intercol quarter-final action in their respective zones on Saturday, as the girls’ intercol competition got underway with various games across the country.

Bishop Anstey PoS were resounding in their meeting with Malick Secondary in the North zone, as they got a thumping 9-1 victory. Diego Martin Central Secondary also put on a dominant display as they spanked Tranquillity Secondary by a 7-1 margin. Mariah Williams led the scoring for Diego Martin Central with a hat-trick. Sarai Baptiste-Roberts added two goals of her own in the big Diego win.

Bishop Anstey East also found the back of the net with regularity in their encounter with Barataria North Secondary in the East zone, as they got a comfortable 5-1 win on their home turf in Trincity. TT youth attacker Orielle Martin stole the show for Bishop Anstey East as she scored a hat-trick.

In the other East zone game, El Dorado East Secondary got a 2-1 penalty shootout win against St Augustine Secondary after a 1-1 stalemate in regular time. El Dorado’s next test is also expected to be a stern one, as they will meet reigning East zone intercol champions Five Rivers Secondary in the zonal semi-finals. Five Rivers have also progressed to this season’s Secondary Schools Football League’s (SSFL) girls Big 5 final, where they will meet 2022 Big 5 champions Scarborough Secondary.

In the Central zone, the two Carapichaima schools got slender victories to advance to the zonal semi-finals, as both Carapichaima East and Carapichaima West Secondary got 1-0 victories in their quarter-final matches. Carapichaima West got by Chaguanas North Secondary in Edinburgh, Chaguanas. Meanwhile, Carapichaima East squeezed by the challenge posed by a Chaguanas South Secondary outfit which started the game with only seven players. Chaguanas South manager Kempes Charles said his team has played the entire Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season without a full complement of players. On the weekend, Chaguanas South put up a brave fight despite being short-handed, but a solitary item from Carapichaima East was enough to end their intercol campaign.

In Tobago, Roxborough Secondary got a 2-0 win over Mason Hall Secondary at the Cyd Gray Sporting Complex, Roxborough in the lone quarter-final played on the island on the day. On Wednesday, Tobago’s two other quarter-final matches will be contested with a keen double-header at the Plymouth recreation grounds. In the first encounter, Bishop’s High School (Tobago) will meet Speyside Secondary. Reigning national girls intercol champions Signal Hill Secondary will meet Pentecostal Light and Life in the second match of the double-header.

In the South zone, Palo Seco Secondary won their encounter versus Princes Town West Secondary by default.

The girls zonal semi-finals are scheduled for November 19. Meanwhile, SSFL president Merere Gonzales confirmed the postponement of the girls’ Big 5 final between Scarborough and Five Rivers which was initially carded for November 15. Gonzales told Newsday the final is to be held in Tobago, but he said the East zone champions Five Rivers has had difficulty in finalising travel arrangements for the all-important game. He said a new date should be announced by the league this week.

Zonal semi-final action in the boys intercol tournament will commence on Tuesday with matches in the Central and Tobago zones. Last year’s Central intercol winners Chaguanas North will face Carapichaima West, while Carapichaima East will play Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School. In Black Rock, Tobago a double-header will see Speyside meeting Mason Hall Secondary in the first semi, with reigning Tobago champions Signal Hill meeting Bishop’s High School (Tobago) in the other match.