St Augustine Senior Comprehensive will contest yet another RBTT InterCol East Zone final after a 2-0 extra-time victory over Arima Senior Comprehensive, while zonal champions San Juan Secondary Comprehensive suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive in the second semi-final at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar yesterday.
The fact that they went 103 minutes before conceding was more due to the excellent efforts of Arima goalie Joseph Craig whose prowess gave his team a fighting chance more than their defensive strategy, but he could only do so much. St Augustine started the match with a few of their best players on the bench, including Joseph and Brandon Rupert.
For the first 25 minutes Arima threatened to take the lead but their marksmanship was found lacking.
St Augustine keeper Joel Johnson denied Kendes Garcia and then Nicholas Armstrong fired between Johnson's arms. The Green Machine also had some close efforts hit wide and neither team could break the deadlock before half time.
With St Augustine down to ten men, coach Michael Grayson swapped defender Andrew Petit for Joseph, who did not seem 100 per cent, perhaps coming off an injury, yet he put some pep into his team's attack.
Craig forced a close-range shot from the tricky striker wide, then spectacularly pushed a curling Joseph free kick destined for the near "vee" over-bar.
Green Machine midfielder Kendall Campbell twice missed the target and Joseph was brilliantly kept out by the keeper's foot in the 80th as regulation time ended with a 0-0 score-line.
Finally, after Joseph and Rupert were denied from close range by Craig, the former found a way to beat him with a low shot in the 14th minute of extra time. Two minutes later, Craig finished second in a race with Joseph for the ball and could only watch the sphere hit the back of his net, ending a brave battle by Arima.
Yesterday's RBTT InterCol Results:
East Zone
St Augustine 2 vs Arima 0
San Juan 0 vs El Dorado 3
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