'Tigers' gnaw at holders Fatima, 'Naps' hit Miracle Ministries for six

REIGNING Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division champions Fatima College (16 points) suffered their first loss of the 2024 season on October 2 when they went under 2-1 to north zone intercol holders St Anthony's College (nine points) at the latter's compound in Westmoorings.

The "Tigers" took the lead largely against the run of play in the 23rd minute, when their bulldozing attacker Jean-Marc Thomas finished from close range after getting away with a push on Fatima defender Liam Gooding. No call was forthcoming from referee Nathalya Williams, and Thomas made no mistake with his finish past goalkeeper Shameal O'Brien to net his fourth goal of the season.

Before the end of the first half, O'Brien was called into an acrobatic save as he kept out a well-struck free kick from St Anthony's star winger Andell Fraser.

Fatima came close to an equaliser in the 49th minute as St Anthony's defender Obadiah Eyeadelroshyia inadvertently sent a header off his bar after a right side corner.

In the 66th minute, Fraser, a national under-20 player, had another clash with O'Brien when he uncorked a beauty of a shot from outside the area to beat the Fatima custodian and give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, the Hutson Charles-coached Fatima team got on the scoresheet, as their enterprising winger Jahaem Bailey scored with a cheeky backheel from close range after Davoure Thomas lost possession in the home team's defensive third.

Fatima were unable to muster a second goal, but they stayed atop the standings due to their +15 goal differential. St Anthony's moved from tenth to seventh with the win.

The second-placed St Benedict's College moved level with Fatima on 16 points as they got a narrow 1-0 win against San Juan North Secondary (nine points) at the Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin, with their talisman Josiah Ochoa scoring the lone goal of the game.

At Lewis Street, San Fernando, four-time premier division champs Naparima College (11 points) jumped to fourth when they hammered cellar-placed Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School by a 6-0 margin. Jabari Rodriguez, a player who helped Miracle Ministries clinch promotion to the premier division last season, scored a brace to hand his former school their sixth loss in the young season.

At the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, east zone intercol holders Arima North Secondary (11 points) maintained their unbeaten record when they played to a goalless draw with reigning intercol champs Presentation College San Fernando (13), who consolidated third spot on the table. Arima slipped one spot to fifth with their fifth drawn game of the campaign.

Fatima may have been on the losing side, but their neighbours East Mucurapo Secondary (six points) got their second win of the season when they edged Trinity College East (six points) by a 2-1 margin on Fatima grounds, Mucurapo.

In St Clair, Queen's Royal College (ten points) shrugged off the challenge of the visiting Malick Secondary (eight points) as they got a 2-0 victory at QRC grounds with goals from Stephon James and national youth player Jasai Theophilus. QRC moved three spots to sixth on the 16-team table.

Also in St Clair, St Mary's College (seven points) blanked the newly promoted St Augustine Secondary by a 2-0 margin thanks to goals by Joshua Chalerie and their ace forward Kyle Phillip.

Meanwhile, at Speyside recreation ground, the all-Tobago showdown between Speyside Secondary (four points) and Signal Hill Secondary (eight points) didn't go ahead as scheduled, as the match referee Keon Yorke reportedly left the venue due to the tardiness of the other match officials who arrived just ten minutes before the scheduled 4 pm kickoff.

SSFL premier division standings

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Fatima*7*5*1*1*19*4*15*16

St Benedict's*6*5*1*0*9*3*6*16

Presentation (San Fernando)*6*4*1*1*10*3*7*13

Naparima*6*3*2*1*13*5*8*11

Arima North*7*2*5*0*10*3*7*11

QRC*7*3*1*3*9*7*2*10

St Anthony's College*5*3*0*2*11*6*5*9

San Juan North*7*3*0*4*11*11*0*9

Malick*7*2*2*3*13*13*0*8

Signal Hill*6*2*2*2*13*14*-1*8

St Mary's College*7*2*1*4*7*16*-9*7

Trinity East*7*2*0*5*12*15*-3*6

East Mucurapo*6*2*0*4*4*8*-4*6

Speyside*4*1*1*2*7*9*-2*4

St Augustine*5*1*1*3*4*11*-7*4

Miracle Ministries PHS*7*1*0*6*2*26*-24*3