Defending RBTT Inter Col champions Naparima College sounded a warning to all challengers for their crown that it will not be easily relinquished.
More than an hour and a half had lapsed from the intended start of play at 3 p.m. to the actual kick off after match officials refused to take the field if three Shiva High players were allowed to play.
Their protest stemmed from a previous incident last Friday when Shiva High's playoff with Moruga Composite ended controversially.
Moruga were adjudged to have won 4-3 on kicks from the penalty spot after a 1-1 regulation scoreline. But Shiva protested vociferously--and perhaps inappropriately as reports suggest.
The spotkick shootout was retaken and Shiva High emerged winners with the right to face Naps yesterday.
The lengthy emergency meeting eventually ended with a decision to let the match play on without three members of the regular Shiva line-up.
Once the match got started, Shiva's initiation into top-flight football turned into a hazing ritual, especially with three of their top players--Darrel Bourne, Dwight Jordan and talisman Dwight Pope--all receiving bans with immediate effect.
Naps' goalscorers showed little loss of appetite and even less complacency after the lengthy wait, hammering home three unanswered goals in the first half.
Anthony Parris, the player who suffered a badly broken leg in Inter Col last year, started the rout with a simple tap-in in just the sixth minute.
Winchester doubled up in the 27th, easily finding the near post, while Cyrus made good use of a corner kick to send Naps 3-0 up.
In the second half Naps kept up their aggression, Winchester heading in as Lewis failed to dive. He hit the net three more times, as did Cyrus, twice.
Substitute Amale Quashie, who replaced Winchester, hit two more goals and Akiel Matthews also struck for Naps. Brandon Neptune completed the rout in stoppage time with a 35-metre shot that looped and sank into Lewis' goal.
Were it not for a few impressive reflex saves from Lewis and his gutsy, but overwhelmed defenders, the scoreline could have been far worse.
As for Naps, it was just another day at the office. Their next opponents will be duly wary of their potent attack.
Owing to the late start of the first encounter of yesterday's double-header at the Marabella venue, Siparia Secondary and St Benedict's College were locked in battle up to press-time.
Yesterday's RBTT Inter Col scores:
Naparima 13 (Anthony Parris 6th; Cory Cyrus 33rd, 80th; Shahdon Winchester 27th, 51st, 56th, 64th, 71st; Amale Quashie 81st, 87th; Akiel Matthews 84th; Brabdon Neptune 90th) vs Shiva Boys High 0
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