SIGNAL Hill Secondary advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Girls' Big 5 Championships when they edged central zone winners Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School by a 1-0 margin at the former's compound in Signal Hill, Tobago on October 30.
After a scoreless first half, the hosts got the crucial goal early in the second half when Zyesha Potts netted the lone item in the 53rd to turn back the Miracle Ministries team.
Signal Hill will now meet south zone winners Pleasantville Secondary in the semifinals at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on November 3. Pleasantville are the reigning girls' intercol champions and have prolific attacker Nikita Gosine in their ranks, as well as her sister Natalia Gosine.
In the other semi on November 3, north zone winners St Joseph's Convent PoS will tackle east zone winners Five Rivers Secondary at the former's ground in St Clair. Both semifinal matches will kick off at 3.30 pm.
Five Rivers advanced to the girls' Big 5 final last season, but they were hammered 6-0 by a Scarborough Secondary team which included TT youth players J'Eleisha Alexander and Talia Martin.
With Scarborough already out of the way, another school has the opportunity to rise up and claim top honours. The 2024 final is scheduled for November 13 at a venue to be determined.
Hillview draw blank vs Tinity Moka
Meanwhile, in the lone boys' Big 5 championship division playoff match on October 30, early leaders Hillview College (four points) were held to a goalless draw by north zone champions Trinity College Moka (two points). Playing at their El Dorado, Tunapuna home base before an audience which included former education minister Anthony Garcia and a host of east zone coaches, Hillview were unable to breach the Trinity defence despite creating quality chances.
On at least two occasions in the first half, Hillview missed close range chances when it appeared easier to find the back of the net.
Still, the east zone championship division winners can take solace from having a two-point lead in the Big 5 table, with Trinity moving up one spot to second.
The other Big 5 playoff match between Tobago winners Scarborough Secondary and south champs Pleasantville was postponed due to the unavailability of flights for the latter team. Pleasantville lost their first game to Hillview, with Scarborough still to play their first game of the playoffs.
The boys' Big 5 playoffs will resume on November 2, with Hillview hosting central winners Carapichaima East Secondary and Trinity playing host to Scarborough in Maraval.
After round-robin play, the top three teams in the five-team playoffs will advance to the 2025 premier division season.
SSFL boys' championship division Big 5 playoffs
Teams*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts
Hillview College*2*1*1*0*2*0*2*4
Trinity Moka*2*0*2*0*2*2*0*2
Carapichaima East*1*0*1*0*2*2*0*1
Scarborough Secondary*0*0*0*0*0*0
Pleasantville Secondary*1*0*0*1*0*2*-2*0