Isaiah Jacob hat-trick fuels Point Fortin in NLCL Cup

Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) 2023 National intercol winner Isaiah Jacob scored a hat-trick for his Point Fortin Youth Academy team on Sunday evening, as they notched their fourth straight win in the 2023/24 Next Level Consulting Ltd (NLCL) under-19 community cup.

Playing away to Gasparillo Youths in a top-of-the-table group B meeting at Lumsden recreation ground in Gasparillo, the Presentation College (San Fernando) student scored two of his three goals in the last ten minutes of the clash to give Point Fortin a dramatic 3-2 win. Jacob opened the scoring for Point Fortin in the 20th minute with an absolute thunderbolt from the right flank after a giveaway by the opposition, but goals from Jerrell Griffith and Malik Young saw Gasparillo grabbing a 2-1 lead just before the hour mark. Jacob pulled off the stunning comeback for the table-toppers Point Fortin, though, as he scored in the 82nd and 89th minutes to secure the big road win.

Also in group B, Central Soccer World (CSW) got a third straight win to move past Gasparillo and into second spot, as they defeated Made in La Brea by a 2-0 margin at Brighton recreation ground, Siparia. Kaeden Robertson and Kelon Williams netted in the first half for CSW as they moved to nine points to stay within touching distance of Point Fortin (12 points).

In group A, Athletic International Academy (AIA) and QPCC played to a 1-1 draw in their own battle atop the table at the Eddie Hart recreation ground in Tacarigua. TT youth player and promising Fatima College attacker Caden Trestrail opened the scoring for QPCC in the 59th minute, with group leaders AIA getting an equaliser from Tariq Abdullah in the 68th minute.

Both teams remained unbeaten and consolidated first and second spots in the group, with AIA on eight points and QPCC on seven points.

Two-time defending champions Soccer Made Simple (SMS) got back to winning ways as they eked out a 1-0 win against Blast FC at Constantine Park, Macoya to move up to seven points and third in the group. Arima North Secondary winger Stephano Christopher scored for the second straight game, with his 81st-minute strike being the difference between the two teams in the tight contest.

Caledonia (three points) got their first win of the season, as they held off Malabar Young Stars (six points) by a 2-1 margin at the Morvant recreation ground. Keiron Hinds and Khidr Atiba scored either side of the halftime interval for Caledonia, with Shakeim Jack pulling a goal back for Malabar in the 77th minute.