Reigning national champions St Anthony’s College will be one of four teams hoping to clinch their respective zonal titles when the BGTT/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League penultimate round of zonal matches takes place today from 3.45 pm.
The “Westmooring Tigers,” as St Anthony’s are called, currently lead the seven-team North Zone with 24 points from ten matches, three ahead of long-time rival East Mucurapo which it faces today at Fatima Grounds, Mucurapo Road.
For the “Tigers,” who are unbeaten in 30 matches dating back to the start of last year and were 1-0 winners in the first round encounter, the task is simple: win, and they will be crowned champions for yet another season, with only a re-scheduled match against Fatima College, which was rained out at the half-time on Wednesday last, to be replayed next weekend.
However, a draw or a defeat for the Nigel Grosvenor-coached “Tigers” against “Compre” which is coming off a 8-0 thrashing of Queen’s Royal College will leave the title race open with the latter still to face relegation-threatened Diego Martin North in its final match on Wednesday.
In the two other matches, QRC and Diego Martin North, both with eight points, three ahead of Trinity College, meet at QRC Ground while St Mary’s host cellar-placed Trinity at Serpentine Road.
Down South, Presentation College of San Fernando will go into its clash against last year’s winner Shiva Boys, just needing a point to dethrone its rival when both teams square off at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
The Shawn Cooper-coached Presentation, the only team in the league with a 100 per cent winning record heads the South table with maximum 30 points from ten matches while Shiva is five points behind and must avenge its 1-0 first round loss to carry the title chase into Wednesday’s final round.
At the other end of the table, bottom-placed Moruga with one point needs to pick up valuable points when it hosts Naparima while Princes Town is at home to St Benedict’s in a mid-table clash.
In the East Zone, front-runners Arima North with 24 points from ten matches travel to Trinity East for a tricky contest, knowing a win will see it replace El Dorado East as zonal champions.
However, the “Dial Dynamos” of Arima North know it will not be an easy task as in its last encounter with Trinity East at home on September 26 it needed two second-half strikes to come-from-behind and earn a 2-2 draw.
At Bourg Mulatresse, San Juan, the pressure will be on both San Juan North, with 20 points and two matches and second-placed St Augustine (21 points) which plays its final match today to get a win to keep their titles hope open mathematically, providing Arima North slips up.
Defending Central Zone champions Carapichaima East and rivals, second-placed Chaguanas North meet at Carapichaima with a point separating both teams and both coming off 11-0 triumphs over Presentation College of Chaguanas and Gasparillo respectively.
Victory for “Caps” will secure yet another crown while Chaguanas North needs nothing less than a win as it also faces the possibility of its 2-1 win in the first round being reversed to a 3-0 loss to Carapichaima due to protest.
Over in Tobago, the title is far from decided with the top two teams, Scarborough (11 pts) and Speyside (ten points), both in action while Mason Hall, third with nine points, has a bye. Today, Scarborough meets Roxborough at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, while Speyside is at home to Signal Hill.
Today’s Matches
NB: All matches begin at 3.45 pm unless otherwise stated
North
East Mucurapo vs St Anthony’s, Fatima Ground
QRC vs Diego Martin North, QRC Ground
St Mary’s vs Trinity, Serpentine Road
East
El Do East vs Toco, Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar
San Juan North vs St Augustine, Bourg Mulatresse
Trinity East vs Arima North, Trinity East
South
Princes Town vs St Benedict’s, Princes Town
Moruga vs Naparima, Moruga
Presentation vs Shiva, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella
Central
Couva West vs Presentation, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
Carapichaima East vs Chaguanas North, Carapichaima
Gasparillo vs Tabaquite, Guaracara Park, Point-a-Pierre
Tobago
Speyside vs Signal Hill, Speyside
Scarborough vs Roxborough, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet