Fatima College were last evening crowned 2005 RBTT Intercol North Zone champions after what could only be described as an epic match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The thriller, which had more twists and turns than a James Bond movie, came down to kicks from the penalty spot after the teams were deadlocked at 4-4 at the end of extra time.
Fatima skipper Marshall James stepped up to bury his team's final kick and seal the title with a 5-4 penalties win, taking revenge against their Mucurapo Road neighbours, who robbed them of the 2005 Secondary Schools Football League North Zone title at the final hurdle. The real hero of the match for Fatima would have to be Jevon Morris, though.
Morris, who had been invisible for most of regulation time, slammed home a loose ball past Mucurapo 'keeper Denzil Carabon in the final minute of stoppage time to keep his team in the hunt.
The match was action-packed from the opening whistle and Makesi Lewis sent Fatima ahead in the fourth minute. He was sent through the centre of the penalty area and threaded the ball between Carabon and the near post.
Striker Chad De Freitas made it 2-0, rising up to head a free kick powerfully inside the left post. Two minutes later, the persistent "Compre" pulled one back with Richard Roy's blast for a 2-1 halftime score.
Mucurapo's 62nd minute equaliser by the tricky Atullah Guerra sparked short-lived celebrations, as Kevon Villaroel's 66th halfline free kick was muffed by Carabon, who went up for the ball along with a defender. The ball slipped from his hands and went one bounce into goal.
Second half substitute Ricardo Peltier added another twist when he knocked in from close range, after an initial save by Fatima custodian Adrian Foncette.
Compre fans erupted into a frenzy when Guerra found the net in the 85th and it looked like Mucurapo would retain their North Intercol title.
But Morris' wonder strike kept the door open for Fatima to tie up scores at 4-4.
With no goals in extra time, it was left for the teams to hold their nerve at the penalty spot and after Khaleem Hyland had Mucurapo's only miss in the shoot-out, it was left for James to most fittingly seal the title for his team, in what must undoubtedly have been the best contest for the 2005 SSFL season.
The Central Zone also had new champions, as Carapichaima Senior Comprehensive won 4-1 over Presentation College at the Ato Boldon Stadium in another shoot-out after a 1-1 scoreline at the end of regulation time.
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