Naparima College found their stride as they cruised to a 3-1 win against Fatima College, to continue their unbeaten run in the Shell/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) yesterday.
A second-half hattrick from Isaiah Lee was enough for the two-time reigning Premier Division champions, as they carved the Fatima defence in two on the counter attack throughout the second half.
Wide forward Stephon Marcano was able to hit the target for Fatima moments before the final whistle.
The match was played as if it were a training ground exercise in the first half, with both teams content to move the ball around without any penetration up front.
After the break however, as the visitors took the lead when lone forward Isaiah Lee tapped in from close range after “Naps” collected a loose ball in the middle and sprayed it wide to Renaldo Francois, who advanced up the left side before finding Lee with a teasing low cross - the silence was deafening in the stands.
Fatima came to life after conceding the goal, and forced the issue with their neat passing game moving forward.
“Naps” however doubled the lead 20 minutes later in the 68th, and it came from the same source.
Lee played a one-two with Akinola Gregory and then lashed his shot past Fatima keeper Darrion Hamilton at the near post.
The forward completed his treble in cheeky style, this time fighting off the attentions of four Fatima players before laying a square pass to Decklan Marcelle, who fed him a return pass which he took and dummied his way past Hamilton before playing it into an empty net.
Fatima, however, were determined to leave their mark on the match, and few deserved the consolation goal more than Marcano, who put his right foot through the ball from around 25 yards out, leaving Levi Fernandez sprawling in vain.
The goal however came deep in stoppage time and was not enough to make a difference.
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