DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Fatima College stood up to a proper testing in the Secondary Schools Football league (SSFL) when playing out a thrilling 1-1 draw against Naparima College, at Mucurapo Road, yesterday.
Thus, both teams remain unbeaten. “Naps” now have seven points, having recorded 3-2 wins over East Mucurapo and Trinity East. Meanwhile, Fatima are on four points while having played a match less, having earlier routed Premier Division debutants Miracle Ministries Pentecostal 8-0.
Yesterday’s match saw both teams having periods of control. Naparima bossed the first half and led through Darius Procope’s close-up header in the 41st minute, but could have had a few more as well.
Never-say-die Fatima came alive after the interval, particularly in the final 20 minutes and equalised in the 85th minute when Luke Correia manoeuvred between two defenders and poked the ball past Naparima custodian Tyrece Romain.
Still, “Naps” could have sealed full points late and it was only the post which saved Fatima, after a shot from long-range struck the upright in the 89th minute.
Fatima looked more open than they had been at any time over the last two seasons, when they were league runners-up in 2022 and last year when they won it all. But it was Naparima who opened them up, the work put in by the new coaching staff of former nationals Reynold Carrington and Densil Theobald being very obvious.
“Three points lost,” lamented Carrington at the end. “We should have gone on at an earlier point in the game. We had some chances that we should have put away to kill the game off.”
He added: “I think in the last 15 minutes we lost the composure a bit. But all in all, it was a good fight. I think Fatima came alive in the second half, and we let it slip away from us.”
Playing fast and aggressively, Naparima began taking control 20 minutes into the first half, following an intense opening period where both teams attempted to play good football. Consequently, the first good chance fell to Naparima, with striker Xarion France shooting wide following a cut-back from the overlapping Jaydon Capprietta.
“Naps” looked to have found the lead when France ripped the ball into the top of the net from inside the penalty area, only for the assistant-referee to raise his flag, after striker Akiel Vesprey, who had gotten an initial touch before France’s finish, was found to be offside.
Naparima had another chance in the 36th minute when Jeremiah Rodriguez clipped the cross, after meeting Aaron Raymond’s cut-back, and finally after all the pressure Fatima finally broke.
Still, it took goalkeeper Shamel O’Brien spilling the ball from a corner-kick to gift Procope the breakthrough headed goal. And before the half ended, Rodriguez also clipped Fatima’s crossbar, after a square pass from the very energetic Aaron Raymond, who was everywhere in attack.
Fatima improved in the second half, after head coach Hutson Charles made several changes, including bringing on Michael Chaves, last year’s MVP who has only recently recovered from a broken leg. It would take a lot for Naparima to keep up the pace and as they got tired, Fatima turned up the intensity in the final 20 minutes.
Correia tested Naparima goalkeeper Tyrece Romain from an angle, while Chaves shot straight at the keeper from a breakaway. And Correia finally restored parity with five minutes to go, racing between two defenders, meeting a long ball into the penalty area, and poking a low shot wide of the goalkeeper.
“I thought first half we were a bit flat. I think “Naps” had the better of us in the first half,” stated Charles, adding, “Second half the guys came out with that energy, that intensity, and we could have won it down the end.”
Charles credited fresher legs making a big difference, “seeing that Naparima was getting winded.”
SOURCE: T&T Express
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