St Mary’s College (CIC) are the CocaCola InterCol North Zone champions, following a 1-0 win over St Anthony’s College yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.
A lone goal from Tyrese Spicer in the final minute of regulation time was enough to gift CIC its first North Zone InterCol title since 1989.
The boys in the blue and white stripes entered the “battle of the saints” as the underdogs of the match-up, despite winning the previous encounter of the two teams 2-1 on the final day of the Premier Division season.
However, from the early stages of the encounter, it was clear to see why the team was given that label.
St Anthony’s dominated proceedings and will only have itself to blame for failing to score the numerous chances that the team created.
For the entirety of the match the “Tigers” kept the pressure on CIC, but shockingly the team failed to score any of the chances awarded to them.
Those missed chances would haunt St Anthony’s as CIC struck on a late counter attack.
Spicer was played in on goal with only the keeper to beat, and he sent a brilliant left-footed strike to the bottom corner passed the outstretched hands of Jabari Brice to send the CIC faithful into a frenzy at the stadium. At the final whistle, those fans would storm the field in celebration of the school’s first title in 28 years.
The title win is CIC’s eighth ever, adding to its previous successes in 1964, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1986, 1988, and 1989.
Elsewhere, in Tobago, Signal Hill Secondary captured the CocaCola InterCol Tobago Zone title after a 1-0 win against Tobago rival Speyside High in Plymouth.
Conversely to the match in Trinidad, there were no late minute strikes in the match-up.
The goal came early for Signal Hill, as Jelanie James struck a right-footed shot into the Speyside net inside five minutes.
Signal Hill managed to hold on to the 1 nil lead until the half, and despite some late Speyside scares in the second half the team held on for the victory.
The victory meant Signal Hill Secondary secured its second consecutive Tobago Zone Intercol title and the schools sixth since the turn of the twenty first century (2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011).
Today, San Juan North Secondary will take an important step in its National InterCol title defence, when it faces Valencia Secondary in the East Zone finals from 3.30 pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima.
(Teams by Wired868.com)
St Mary’s College (4-2-3-1): 30.Regaleo Holder (GK); 21.Justin Gibbon, 4.Schileon Phillip, 8.Matthaeus Granger, 12.Kevon Alonzo; 6.Justin Keith, 11.Gabriel Nanton (captain); 7.Terran Winner, 10.Michel Poon-Angeron (22.Augustine Nkemakolam 86),16.Tyrese Spicer (27.Devon Charles 90+2); 19.Trey La Motte.
Unused Substitutes: 1.Jordan Bidaisee (GK), 9.Justin Mohammed, 14.Elijah Bain Hares, 18.Kyle Carrington, 26.Jed Rigsby.
Coach: Ryan Shim
St Anthony’s College (4-2-3-1): 1.Jabari Brice (GK); 6.Khiesa Granger (18.Shakir Clapham 84), 5.Jesse Williams, 4.Nkosi Salandy, 27.Derron John (captain); 8.Jodel Brown, 7.Krishon Alexander (23.Sowande Prieto 79); 10.Tyrese Bailey, 9.Che Benny, 11.Haile Beckles; 19.Jaydon Prowell.
Unused Substitutes: 25.Elijah Shade (GK),13.Quinn Frederick, 16.Jordan Barclay, 17.Omari Wiltshire, 21.Jameiq Pierre.
Coach: Ronald Daniel
Referee: Nickolai Nyron
Wired868 Man-of-the-Match: Matthaeus Granger (St Mary’s College)
Coca Cola Intercol Results
[North Zone final]
St Mary’s College 1 (Tyrese Spicer 89), St Anthony’s College 0 at Hasely Crawford Stadium;
[Tobago Zone final]
Signal Hill 1 (Jelanie James 5), Speyside High 0 at Black Rock;
RELATED NEWS
Saints edge Tigers for North Intercol crown.
T&T Newsday Reports.
Tyrese Spicer’s blistering left-footed strike found the back of the net in the 90th minute to give St Mary’s a 1-0 win over St Anthony’s in the Coca Cola North Zone final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
Spicer raced behind two defenders to collect a ball from the middle and, from the edge of the penalty area, unleashed a powerful shot which flew past the outstretched right hand of goalkeeper Jabari Brice and into the back of the net.
In a post-game interview, Spicer said, “I can’t explain this feeling. I’ll like to thank God and my teammates for everything they have done.”
St Mary’s coach Ryan Shim acknowledged that the players were keen to claim the crown, after they finished 6th in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division title.
“Everybody on the team was gearing up for this match,” said Shim. “We played some good defensive football and we were ready for (the game).”
And indeed it was a hard-fought game with few clear-cut chances for either team.
St Anthony’s striker Jaydon Prowell mistimed his jump and failed to keep down his headed chance, from a Che Benny freekick, in the 18th, and a minute later, Spicer collected a through ball from Gabriel Nanton but shot straight at Brice.
Benny forced St Mary’s goalie Regaleo Holder to produce a magnificent save from his 66th minute freekick, and Spicer’s left-footed effort was parried by Brice in the 73rd.
Prowell had a good chance to put the “Westmoorings Tigers” ahead in the 87th, with a left-footed shot which was denied by the “Saints” goalie, and that miss proved costly as Spicer atoned for his earlier errors with a clinical finish.
Over in the sister isle, Signal Hill retained the Tobago Zone Intercol crown after defeating Speyside 1-0 at the Black Rock Recreation Ground, Courland. Jalanie James struck in the first half to guarantee Signal Hill’s passage to the National Intercol competition (featuring the five Zonal winners), which will get going next week.
Today, the focus will be on the East Zone Intercol category, with San Juan North opposing Valencia High in the final, from 3.30 pm, at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima.
The last Zonal Intercol final will be contested tomorrow with Shiva Boys facing Naparima from 3.30 pm at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
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