The "Dial Dynamos" of Arima North Secondary lived up to their name yesterday with a 3-1 whipping of Carapichaima East Secondary to advance to next week's Coca Cola InterCol final for the first time in eight years.
Creative play-maker Marcus Gomez played a part in all three Arima goals, scoring in the first three minutes of play, setting up the second for a 2-0 half-time lead, and capping off a battling victory in the final minute by winning a penalty.
Carapichaima provided nervy moments for Arima in the final 20 minutes by picking up a penalty that Isiah Tidd put away, but it was too late to start a revival. The Central champions seemed to have trouble with the soft, patchy Larry Gomes Stadium pitch that Arima have played on all season long and Arima took full advantage of that fact.
It was not a good first half for Carapichaima; almost everything that could have went wrong, did. Before they could settle into any kind of rhythm, they were already 2-0 down and could have conceded at least two more by half-time but for Arima misses.
Gomez started the damage with a third-minute goal to cap off a swift counter-attack. With one fluid motion he sent two defenders the wrong way, then punted past goalkeeper Demetrius Edwards to the top right corner of the net for the opening goal.
Six minutes later it was 2-0, this time Gomez turning provider as he streaked down the right side and swung in a pin-point cross to the near post and Tevin Figaro headed powerfully down the centre of goal.
It could have been 3-0 if Che Edwards's shot from the left of the penalty box, which beat Edwards (D) all ends up, had not cannoned off the inside of the far post and, surprisingly, back into play.
But the miss of the day belonged to the normally reliable Caps captain, Shaquille Holder, as he tried to cap off a fast break by hooking over Arima 'keeper Joseph Craig just inside the 18-yard box. But his timing was not good enough to beat Craig.
It was perhaps an indication of Carapichaima's desperation to get back into the match that they substituted goalie Edwards (D) for D'Jevon Archibald, their first-choice custodian last year.
But still Arima had the better looks at goal--Edwards (C) shot tamely at Archibald when he should have blasted home on the hour and within the next five minutes striker Kern Roberts forced a great save from Archibald, while midfielder Tevin Gilkes headed over from close range.
And after Carapichaima's Kareem Boyce forced Craig into punching over a fierce bullet, Tidd brought them back into it with a penalty kick when Craig brought down Denzil Gill in the area.
It added life and late drama to the match. That drama ended in the final minute when referee Michael Ragoonath pointed to the spot after Gomez went down under Archibald's challenge.
When Hazel converted, that was the final nail in the Carapichaima coffin. The 3-1 scoreline was good enough to put Arima in the InterCol final for the first time since 2003.
Arima North moves in Intercol final.
T&T Guardian Reports.
Arima North Secondary made light work of Carapichaima East Secondary, with a 3-1 win in their Coca-Cola National InterCol semifinal match yesterday to move into the final.
The match was played at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, in front of a sizable support for the winning team. A commanding showing from Arima, particularly in the first half saw the East Zone InterCol and league champions take a 2-0 lead at the break. Within the third minute of play, Arima North went a goal up through a clinical solo Marcus Gomez finish. It was all Arima North from then on.
Tevin Figaro scored the second in the 12th minute, to give Arima North a comfortable lead which they held at the half time break. Both teams had their fair share of possession in the second half but Arima North always looked the more likely to advance.
“Caps” attempted to spark a comeback, and found a response, allbeit from a spot kick in the 80th minute from Isaiah Tidd. Moments of pressure from Carapichaima ensued but it was all over when its custodian Joseph Craig was adjudged to have brought down Gomez in the box in added time. Stepping up to take the spot kick, Kwame Hazel made no mistake slotting home past a diving Craig.
Carapichaima were unable to spark another comeback. The win put Arima North into Tuesday’s 4 pm final at a venue to be announced. The second semifinal will kick off today when St Presentation College San Fernando will travel up North to take on St Anthony’s College at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road, from 4 pm.
17