PRESENTATION COLLEGE Chaguanas and St Augustine Senior Comprehensive will both be hoping to make another successful stride towards winning respective zonal titles, when the British Gas Secondary Schools Football League resumes today from 3.45pm, with matches in the North, East Central and South Zones.
Central Zone
Presentation currently sits on top of the six-team Central Zone table with maximum 18 points, and a win today against pointless Union Claxton Bay at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, will bring the team within one win of retaining the title . Should Presentation somehow manage to slip up against UCB, two teams eagerly waiting to grasp the opportunity are second placed Marabella Junior Secondary (12 points), led by the zone’s top scorer Akeem Marshall (12 goals) and third placed Carapichaima Senior Comprehensive, who meet at Marabella.
These teams need full points to keep their faint hopes alive. Tabaquite hosts Chaguanas in the other match.
East Zone
The “Green Machine” runners-up to title-holding Arima Senior Comprehensive on the last two occasions, also sits comfortably atop the East Zone standings with 23 points, while second placed San Juan has 17 points, followed by Arima with 15, all from nine matches.
Today the “Green Machine”- with the potent national under-17 striker Shastri Spencer (11 goals) in terrific form- plays rival El Dorado Senior Comprehensive at St Augustine.
A win for St Augustine, 5-0 winners over Hillview College on Monday, will keep the team well on course to end its zonal league drought, while defeat to the “Blue Thunder” will leave the door open for San Juan and Arima to reduce the lead.
San Juan, who ended a run of two defeats by beating Valencia High 4-2, entertains Barataria Senior Comprehensive; Arima hosts Hillview and St George’s meets Valencia at St George’s.
North Zone
In the North Zone, leaders Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive (24 points) will need to improve on its lacklustre 2-1 success against Morvant/Laventille, if it hopes to get past third- placed Fatima College (17 points) on Fatima grounds.
Fatima goes into the match on the heels of a 1-0 away win over Queen’s Royal College and will be buoyed by the fact that in their first- round meeting they won 2-1, the only loss by Mucurapo to date.
Three-time defending zonal champions and two-time national title holders, St Anthony’s College (20 points) will hope for another Fatima upset -of “Compre”- as it seeks full points against Morvant/Laventille at Westmoorings.
St Mary’s and Tranquillity Government Secondary meet at St Mary’s ground, Serpentine Road, and Malick and QRC tangle at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
South Zone
Down South, the quest for the zone crown is a lot more intense, with four teams- Naparima College (19 points), Princes Town Senior Comprehensive (18 points), and St Benedict’s College and Mayaro Composite, 16 points each are still in contention.
The Naps’ players, who saw their three -point lead cut to one after losing to Princes Town, 3-1, are up against another difficult opponent in Moruga at Moruga.
St Benedict’s travels to Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive, while Princes Town and Mayaro meet at Princes Town in a crucial match for both. Fyzabad plays Vessigny in the other South Zone match.
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