SSFL leaders St Benedict's welcome Signal Hill

RUNAWAY leaders St Benedict's College (31 points) will go for an 11th straight win when they host the newly promoted Signal Hill Secondary (nine points), with just four games to go in their 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division campaign, at the Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin in round 12 on October 19.

All matches will kick off at 3.30 pm, with the exception of Speyside Secondary's clash with St Anthony's College in Tobago, which will commence at 3 pm.

St Benedict's, winners of the premier division in 2022, are six points clear atop the table and will be eager to put more distance between themselves and the chasing pack as they hunt the league crown.

Away to the 11th-placed San Juan North Secondary in Bourg Mulatresse, the second-placed Presentation College San Fernando (25 points) will do their utmost to maintain their four-game winning run when they face the powerhouse east zone team.

At Fatima grounds, Mucurapo, the third-placed Fatima College (23 points) will try to get back into the top two when they play their neighbours East Mucurapo Secondary (six points), who are fighting for their premier division survival in 15th on the 16-team table. Fatima, the premier division holders, are eight points adrift of St Benedict's and are seemingly not in the title chase.

With the SSFL boardroom decision concerning Shumba Cudjoe still hanging over their heads, the ninth-paced St Augustine Secondary (14 points) will go after precious points when they host four-time premier division winners Naparima College (19 points) at the former's school compound. Two years ago, when St Augustine were relegated from the premier division, they fell to a heavy 9-1 defeat to "Naps" on home turf. Coach Tacuma Jones and his team will hope for better fortunes this time around.

On October 15, Jones told Newsday St Augustine were in the process of appealing the SSFL's decision regarding Cudjoe, which deemed that the player was used in four premier division games before he was properly registered by the "Green Machine" in the ongoing season.

Cudjoe is currently the team's leading scorer this season with three goals.

On October 18, SSFL president Merere Gonzales told Newsday the final decision regarding Cudjoe's registration "is still being addressed by the SSFL and the concerned parties."

He said the football public will be updated in due course.

In the televised match, the unbeaten Arima North Secondary (18 points) will aim to extend their ten-game unbeaten streak and reclaim fourth spot when they take on the tenth-placed St Mary's College (13 points) at the Arima Velodrome. With Arima fifth on the 16-team table, St Mary's will be hoping to land another east zone scalp after handing San Juan North a 4-0 drubbing in their previous encounter.

In St Clair, the eighth-placed Queen's Royal College (14 points) will play the 14th-placed Trinity College East (seven points) team which slipped into the relegation zone after a 4-1 defeat to Fatima in the previous round.

In Edinburgh, Chaguanas, the cellar-placed Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School (four points) will host the seventh-placed Malick Secondary (seven points).

SSFL premier division standings

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

St Benedict's*11*10*1*0*24*6*18*31

Presentation (Sando)*10*8*1*1*26*6*20*25

Fatima*11*7*2*2*32*12*20*23

Naparima*10*5*4*1*21*9*12*19

Arima North*10*4*6*0*18*5*13*18

St Anthony's College*10*6*0*4*22*13*9*18

Malick*11*4*2*5*23*24*-1*14

QRC*11*4*2*5*14*15*-1*14

St Augustine*10*4*2*4*11*19*-8*14

St Mary's College*11*4*1*6*13*23*-10*13

San Juan North*11*3*1*7*15*21*-6*10

Signal Hill*9*2*3*4*17*23*-6*9

Speyside*9*2*3*4*14*20*-6*9

Trinity East*11*2*1*8*14*23*-9*7

East Mucurapo*10*2*0*8*5*17*-12*6

Miracle Ministries PHS*11*1*1*9*5*38*-33*4