Pleasantville gunning for five SSFL titles this season

PLEASANTVILLE Secondary is going all out to capture every possible Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) girls’ title this season.

Having already been crowned 2024 champions of the SSFL Girls Championship Big 5, Coca-Cola Intercol south zone and SSFL U15 Trinidad, Pleasantville is working towards achieving an unprecedented five trophies this year.

On November 28, the Pleasantville U15s battle Bishop’s High of Tobago for the national U15 title at Lewis Street in San Fernando. On December 1, the senior team meet Miracle Ministries in the National Intercol semi-final.

Victory against Bishop’s would affirm them a fourth domestic title, while a win against Miracle Ministries assures them one more shot at the national girls; intercol crown.

After his team’s 3-0 triumph over Five Rivers in the Big 5 final at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on November 26, Pleasantville head coach Brian London said their ultimate aim is to sweep all competitions.

“We pride ourselves in doing things the right way: hard work, teamwork and togetherness. To come and win back a title (Big 5) that we lost last year, that we thought we should have won, be that as it may, it feels amazing to come out on top. We’re in a fortunate position to try and win every single title that is on offer for females in the SSFL,” London said.

Most of the girls who make up their senior team are also on the U15 squad, and London believes their footballing future looks positive. Pleasantville’s star striker Nikita Gosine, who netted nine times this season, is only 14 years old, while London confirmed they were a “notably young team” featuring several 12 and 13-year-olds on the senior team competing at the highest school level in TT. Two goals from captain Tayeann Wylie and another from Gosine steered them to victory over Five Rivers.

And while London believes a team effort always wins games, he said Gosine’s leadership skills continue to stand out on the field of play.

“She (Gosine) has matured a lot from the perspective of being a leader. She knows to pass more because last year she would have wanted to take on the whole team. She’s also running less than last season because she was doing too much running then. We worked a lot with her,” he added.

Ahead of the U15 final, London said he would use November 27 as a rest day for some of the players who competed for the senior team in the Big 5 trophy match. After that, they hold final preparations ahead of the intercol semi-final.

“Both the U15 final and intercol semi are games where we take nothing for granted. I keep on singing to them (players) that nobody is going to give us anything and we have to all work for it. We have to go and take what is ours if we really want it.”