St Anthony's hit St Mary's for six in SSFL's 'Battle of the Saints'

LAST season’s Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) national intercol runners-up St Anthony’s College got a terrific start to the 2024 premier division campaign on September 11 when they hammered rivals St Mary’s College by a 6-0 margin at the latter school’s ground in St Clair.

Historically known as the “Battle of the Saints,” this Serpentine Road tussle was as one-sided as they come on this occasion and the visitors from Westmoorings took full control as they cruised to the comprehensive victory.

St Mary’s captain and forward Kyle Phillip battled hard up front and showed his quality in spurts, and he should have been awarded a penalty in the 13th minute when a St Anthony’s defender stumbled and handled in the penalty area when he tried to thwart a solo run.

There was no call forthcoming from referee Nathalya Williams, though, and Phillip’s burst into the area was one of the few moments to savour for the home team.

Playmaker Jaeden Bobb and bulldozing forward Jean-Marc Thomas were a handful all game for the hosts, and both players scored braces in the first half as St Anthony’s stormed to a 4-0 lead by halftime.

Thomas headed in from close range in the 15th minute, but he was adjudged to be in an offside position. Seconds later, he ensured there were no question marks surrounding St Anthony’s first goal when he drilled a right-footed shot past St Mary’s 14-year-old custodian Estefan Gift from the edge of the area.

Gift and his defenders didn’t have the best of days, and the hosts went down 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Thomas calmly converted from close range after rounding the goalkeeper.

In the 39th minute, Bobb got his name on the scoresheet when he lobbed Gift, who needlessly raced off his line. And in first-half stoppage-time, Bobb volleyed past Gift at the back stick after meeting a left-side cross from Terique Theobald.

Josiah Superville came on for Gift in the second half, and though the burly keeper made a couple of sharp saves, he was beaten by a pair of fabulous strikes from the rampant “Westmoorings Tigers.”

In the 49th minute, defender Rondell Harewood scored with a lovely curling shot from outside the area, with Theobald scoring with an absolute bullet from a tight angle in the 54th minute to wrap up the game’s scoring.

At the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, reigning national intercol champs Presentation College (San Fernando) also started the season on a high when they thumped the newly promoted Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School by a 6-0 margin. Striker Caleb Boyce stole the show for “Pres” with a beaver-trick.

At Lewis Street, San Fernando, four-time premier division champions Naparima College got a 2-0 win over East Mucurapo Secondary with goals from Akiel Vesprey and Donovan Drayton.

In Bourg Mulatresse, San Juan North Secondary got a 2-1 over Queen’s Royal College, with reigning East zone intercol champions Arima North Secondary playing to a goalless draw with a youthful St Benedict’s College outfit at Arima Velodrome.

In Tobago, Speyside Secondary battled back to get a 2-2 draw with Malick Secondary after the diminutive Anotnio Sealey netted a first-half brace for the visitors.

Reigning premier division winners Fatima College, who opened up their season by lifting the National Gas Company Super Cup on September 6, were unable to get their title defence under way as their game against St Augustine Secondary was called off due to a flooded outfield at the latter’s ground.

The encounter between Trinity College East and Signal Hill Secondary will be played from 3 pm on September 12 at the former’s ground in Trincity.