Arima North, San Juan into East Zone Intercol finals

ARIMA North Secondary and San Juan North Secondary advanced to the Coca-Cola Intercol East zone finals with convincing victories in the semi-finals at Arima Velodrome on Wednesday.

San Juan defeated St Augustine Secondary 5-0 in the first match of the doubleheader and Arima North got past Trinity College East 3-0 in the second encounter.

San Juan started their match on the front foot, creating more chances on goal in the opening minutes. In the tenth minute, San Juan were rewarded as Jahdel Chase-Charles collected a pass from Nathan Quashie and completed the chance from just outside the box. St Augustine goal-keeper Madison Lewis got his hands on the low shot, but could not keep it out.

As the match progressed, St Augustine did a better job maintaining possession, but could not create quality chances on goal.

Around the 30-minute mark, St Augustine created a couple of chances but could not equalise. Quashie made it 2-0 in the 34th minute with a bullet from 25 yards out, a lead San Juan held until half-time. There was not as much goal-mouth action in the early stages of the second half until Lindell Sween, one of San Juan’s best players this season, made it 3-0 in the 67th minute when his deflected shot found the back of the net.

Substitute Mathyyas Charles settled down quickly making it 4-0 with a flick-on header. The San Juan players formed a congo line to celebrate the goal.

Charles was on target again when he neatly controlled a cross from Sween, before slotting home to round off the scoring. After nine minutes into the match between Arima North and Trinity East, the match was stopped because the lights were not turned on yet. After a ten-minute delay, the match resumed.

Arima North looked more promising in the first half. Zwade Alleyne took a tame shot from distance, but Trinity East goalkeeper Alexis Ambrose made a meal of it and the ball slipped through his hands but he was fortunate that it trickled past the post.

Arima North continued to have more possession, but Trinity East also had their moments in a half that lacked chances on goal. Arima North’s Tyrell Stapleton should have done better as his header from a corner kick went over the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

In another chance before the break, Stephano Christopher for Arima North went for power but he failed to put his attempt on frame as the first half ended goalless.

Trinity East were more on the front foot when the second half began and they came the closest to breaking the deadlock as Khaleem Prince’s well-struck shot from 25 yards out hit the post.

Against the run of play, Arima North took the lead in the 68th minute. Following a corner kick, Arima North could only get a tame shot but Stapleton managed to get to the ball before Trinity goal-keeper Ambrose and with only the net in front of him fired into the roof of the net.

Arima scored two more goals to seal the contest. Firstly, the ball fell to substitute Tyler Ayers following a corner kick and his low shot along the wet surface took a deflection past Ambrose to make it 2-0. In the 88th minute, Stephen Ollivierie’s free kick was misjudged by Ambrose as the match ended 3-0. It was a cross by Ollivierie, but he did not care as he got his name on the score sheet.

On Thursday, a North zone Intercol doubleheader will be held at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. In the first match, East Mucurapo Secondary will play St Anthony’s College at 3.30 pm and in the second match, league champions Fatima College will tackle Queen’s Royal College at 5.30 pm.