Trinity East beat Malick 3-2 in SSFL premiership

TRINITY College East beat Malick Secondary 3-2 during their Secondary Schools’ Football League (SSFL) premier division match on home turf at the Arima Velodrome on September 25.

Goals from Khaleem Prince and Dexter Croal in the first half, partnered with one from captain Deisean Plaza in the second, earned Trinity East three precious points after round five, and only their second win of the season.

Two late strikes in the final ten minutes of regulation time from Jaekwon Phillip and Tyrese Manswell gave Malick a fighting chance in the end, but the hosts held on for a nail-biting triumph.

From the kick off, Trinity East showed intent in the opening ten minutes as they had a couple looks in on goal but brought no real threat to Malick goalie Omarion Worrell.

Malick’s Ronaldinho Richards had the first real chance in the 13th minute as he received a pass on the edge of the Trinity area and smartly got past his man with his first touch. However, the winger lost composure and fired high and wide.

Tyrese Manswell could have also put Malick ahead but his right-footed attempt down the left, hit the side netting. Soon after, Richards almost latched on to an Anthony Sealey through-ball but an alert Jadon Pollard swooped in to snatch the ball to safety.

Richards kept the pressure on two minutes later, but his long range, dipping effort down the left fell just outside the back post.

In the 37th minute, however, Trinity East made well on their first open chance as a long ball to charging striker Khaleem Prince caught Malick’s defense off-guard. Prince slotted past Worrell to grab an early advantage.

One minute later, Malick defender H. Bartholomew brought down Trinity East winder Elijah Diaz in the box and gave the hosts a chance to go further ahead. Dexter Croal easily converted by placing his shot to the right of Worrell, to go 2-0 up.

So it remained at the half.

Nine minutes into the second period, Malick had a golden chance to halve their deficit as a delightful run by Manswell down the right saw him pass to a charging Homer, who surprisingly kicked overbar in front of goal.

Malick were made to pay as a corner cross by Trinity East fell to the head of unmarked skipper Jaysean Plaza, who made it 3-0 in the 63rd.

Malick kept pressing for a breakthrough and were duly rewarded in the 83rd as Phillip latched on to a cross to fire past Pollard. Four minutes later, a looping through-ball from Richards to a surging Manswell saw the latter shoot past Pollard to bring their deficit to one goal.

Despite late attempts from Trinity East to increase their lead, and Malick to level the game, the former held on in the final minutes to seal the win.

In other matches, table-toppers Fatima College maintained their unbeaten streak with a 4-1 over San Juan North at Fatima Grounds in Mucurapo.

Meanwhile, Presentation College San Fernando triumphed over Signal Hill Secondary in Tobago. Naparima let an early lead slip and saw Arima North pull one back to draw 1-1 at Lewis Street in San Fernando.

Queen’s Royal College handed St Mary’s a 2-0 defeat at QRC grounds in St Clair while East Mucurapo beat Miracle Ministries 1-0.

Both matches between St Anthony’s and St Benedict’s and Speyside and St Augustine were not played.