Naparima crush 'Pres' 4-0 to lift Intercol south zone crown

NAPARIMA College romped to their second Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) title for the 2025 season after muzzling the Presentation College Lions with a statement 4-0 victory in the Coca-Cola south zone Intercol final, which kicked off at Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva, on December 1.

A second-half hat-trick from in-form striker Riquelme Phillips and a dagger to Presentation’s heart in the third minute (93rd) of extra time from substitute Xarion France affirmed the recently crowned SSFL premiership champions a convincing win over their city rivals.

The result means “Naps” advanced to the National Intercol quarter-finals and puts them en route for a possible hat-trick of SSFL titles this year, with the finals stages of the Intercol to come.

From the kickoff, Presentation started on the front foot in the opening minutes and had a clear chance to take an early lead when Naparima defender Sebastian James clipped talismanic striker Isaiah Jacob in the penalty area in the fourth minute.

Jacob stepped up to convert the spot kick but was easily read by an alert Naparima goalie Mikhail Clement, who dove low and to his left to stop the shot. “Pres” would live to rue that missed opportunity.

The Lions went on to dominate the opening 15 minutes, but when “Naps” found their footing midway through the half, they dominated possession and took control.

Jacob spurned a couple of opportunities in the opening period, but Naps goalie Clement made sure he was always on top of his game. Naparima’s back-line may have been beaten a couple of times in either half, but Pres lacked the final shot.

It was a midfield battle for the latter part of the first half.

Naparima’s Jabari Rodriguez, Jayden Caprietta and Jacob O’Reilly kept the Pres defence busy, but they also struggled to get the final shot off in the first 45 minutes.

Scoreless it remained at the break.

At the resumption, however, Naps looked a different team as they amplified their attacking threat up top. Caprietta and Phillips bobbed and weaved goalward when they got control of the ball and a goal from either one seemed imminent.

In the 63rd, a searching long ball over the top from Naps defender Camron Bovell forced a Presentation defender to blindly backtrack while their goalie Marcelo Phillip charged out to clear the ball.

Unluckily, both collided and the ball fell to the feet of Phillips, who lifted his head, picked his spot at the far post and lofted a neat shot beyond the flailing, outstretched arms of Phillip. Naps’ supporters roared in unison as they took the lead.

Thirteen minutes later, O’Reilly made a timely steal in Presentation’s half and surged forward with one defender to beat and Phillips onside. O’Reilly threaded a perfectly-weighted pass between the backtracking defender and Phillips, as the latter went one-on-one with Pres goalie Phillip, and slotted his low shot into the right side of the net to go 2-0 up.

Another neat string of passes between Phillips and Caprietta in the 85th saw the former seal his south zone final hat-trick, as Pres’ defenders were caught ball-watching.

Phillips received the ball just outside the penalty area and had enough time to switch from his right to left foot, and carefully rifle his effort into the top right corner and out of the reach of the keeper.

That goal saw several Presentation players drop to the pitch in disappointment as Phillips ran to the hundreds of Naparima supporters celebrating his deserving hat-trick.

Into time added on, second half substitutes Arron Raymond and France, who both replaced Caprietta and Phillips up top, showed they could also bag it. Raymond got past two Pres defenders, and despite having a chance to shoot, he waited for the supporting run from France, crossed into the area to meet an oncoming France, whose right-footed shot shook the Pres net.

France ran to their school supporters and celebrated as all chances of Presentation capturing a trophy this year were dashed.

At the blow of the final whistle, Naparima rose to the occasion while Pres returned to the drawing board for next season.