St Benedict's spank Miracle Ministries 8-0 to win SSFL premier title

St Benedict’s College were crowned Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premiership champions after dousing Miracle Ministries Pentecostal 8-0 in the penultimate round of matches at Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin on October 29.

A glut (five goals) from Derrel “Zum Zum” Garcia, whose eligibility to play this season is still under investigation by the Ministry of Education, led the slaughter for the La Romaine Lions, who copped their second SSFL premier title in three years.

Josiah Ochoa, Elijah David and Ethan Trotman also got their names on the scoresheet with one goal each.

The result for Benedict’s (38 pts) saw them maintain a six-point advantage over second-placed Fatima College (32 pts) with one round to go, therefore, mathematically crowning them champions of the 2024 edition.

Additionally, this win meant the South team extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches, having won 12 and drawn two, with their final chance to secure a flawless season against St Mary’s College on November 1.

Team manager Ravi Ramgoolam was all smiles after the victory and said the team’s secret to success this year was “love.”

“We’re excited and enjoying it. All the hard work we put in for the season. Over the July/August, the boys came out, represented the school and gave a good display in the SSFL.

“It’s a great sign for us (to win the second title in three years). St Benedict’s alongside several other schools in South are heavyweights in the SSFL. We’re happy to see the boys rewarded for representing themselves. They played well,” he said.

Despite the celebrations, St Benedict’s still have to wait and see what comes out of the ministry’s investigation into Garcia’s eligibility to play.

When asked if there was any update on this matter, Ramgoolam said, “I have no idea.”

Garcia’s five-goal haul saw him increase his season tally to 16 goals and keeps him well ahead of the race for the league’s Golden Boot award.

The loss for Miracle Ministries (seven pts), however, almost confirms their relegation to the championship next year, despite having one more game to play. Miracle Ministries are currently 15th on the 16-team standings. The three lowest teams are demoted.

Fourteenth-placed Speyside (nine pts), whose October 29 match against St Anthony’s was postponed until November 4, still have a chance of climbing out of the relegation zone as they have four matches in hand.

In other matches, 2023 SSFL premier winners and second-ranked Fatima College brought an end to Arima North’s (24 pts) 12-game unbeaten run after executing a 2-0 triumph at the Arima Velodrome.

Caden Trestrail found the back of the net in the 39th minute for Fatima as his low free kick deflected off the wall and into the goal. Eventual man of the match and defender Yohance Atherton scored the second goal in the 71st minute after latching on to a corner kick and slotting past the Arima goalie.

Arima remain fourth with two games to play.

In Trincity, the visiting Presentation College, also on 32 pts, kept pace with Fatima as they also notched a 2-0 win over Trinity East.

The clash between fifth-ranked St Anthony’s (24 pts) and 12th-placed Signal Hill (ten pts) will be played on November 4.

At Lewis Street in San Fernando, tenth-placed San Juan North (16 pts) delivered a come-from-behind victory to defeat sixth-placed Naparima College (22 pts) 2-1.

Isreal Joseph opened the scoring for the hosts in the 41st minute but San Juan’s Jahdel Chase-Charles leveled the match in the 58th, before Jelani Valentine put them ahead in the 69th.

Malick (20 pts) climbed from eighth to seventh after ousting ninth-placed St Augustine (18 pts) 2-0 at Serpentine Road in St Clair.

Heading into this match, St Augustine had three points deducted by the league’s disciplinary committee on October 28.

This came after they were found to have used a player (Aaden Maharaj) against East Mucurapo on October 9, who “played in the game that immediately followed two consecutive games where Maharaj received cautions (yellow cards).”

This was confirmed in an SSFL statement which also awarded East Mucurapo (nine pts) three points and three goals, bringing them up from last on the standings and out of the relegation zone, into 13th place.

East Mucurapo, however, suffered a 2-0 beating against eighth-place Queen’s Royal College (QRC) at Fatima Grounds in Mucurapo. Nelson Phillip bagged a brace for QRC (20 pts), netting in the 33rd and 81st minutes to seal a precious three points.

Eleventh place St Mary’s (16 pts) also bettered relegation-threatened Speyside 2-1 (nine pts) in Tobago.