Pleasantville tricks Naps

In the first match of a double-header played at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, Pleasantville believed they earned an outright win 1-0 from a first half goal scored from Keon Thomas.

Naparima, however, had other ideas as, with 90 minutes up on the clock and two minutes of injury time passed, Timothy Pierre stepped up to score a freekick from just outside the box to seemingly earn his side a draw.

But at the restart, with the match into its third added minute, Pierre was able to manoeuvre his way into scoring the match winner, to the dismay of Naparima and their support. Presentation and St Benedicts were in action in the other South Zone fixture up to press time last night.

Meanwhile, in the North Zone, QRC and East Mucurapo were to share the spoils as a goal each in the first half limited the two teams to a 1-1 draw.

The match, which was delayed by 20 minutes was played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, before St Anthony’s College and St Mary College took to the pitch. That match remained 0-0 also up to press time last night.

Only one of three scheduled matches were played in the East Zone yesterday. A double header at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima was cancelled due to a no-show of officials, for either of the two matches between Arima North versus San Juan North, in the first and El Dorado East versus St Augustine, the second fixture.

Barataria South and Toco was the only East Zones teams in action yesterday. Action will continue today in the North and South Zones.

Results

North Zone

QRC 1 (Tarrique Ransome 3rd) v East Mucurapo (Akil Campbell 27th)

South Zone

Pleasantville 2 (Keon Thomas 41st, Timothy Pierre 90th) v Naparima 1 (Aaron Dass 90th)

East Zone

Arima North v San Juan North- DNP
El Dorado East v St Augustine- DNP

Fixtures

Today

North Zone

Trinity College v Fatima, Trinity Ground, Moka

South Zone

Vessigny v Princes Town West, Mahaica, Point Fortin.

QRC, 'Compre' start SSFL with 1-1 draw.
By Kern De Freitas (Express).

A lot of missed opportunities greeted Queen's Royal College and East Mucurapo Secondary fans yesterday, as the teams opened the 2011 BG T&T Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) North Zone with a 1-1 draw at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

But the first day of the new season, which sees First Citizens partner with chief sponsors BG T&T, was overshadowed by the postponement of the East Zone Larry Gomes Stadium double header featuring games between San Juan North Secondary and Arima North Secondary, and defending "Big Five" champions St Augustine Secondary and El Dorado East Secondary because match officials failed to turn up.

Over at the "Hasely Crawford", QRC's Terrique Ransome opened the scoring with a lovely free kick, but Kevin Lewis equalised for Mucurapo before half-time to secure a point for his team.

Mucurapo had the first attacking moves of the encounter, but it was QRC with the early success.

They went ahead through a third minute direct free kick, Ransome swinging his left footer towards the upper far post. Dwayne Thomas in Mucurapo's goal got his hand to the ball, but seemed to have misjudged it and it nestled sweetly into the net.

Mucurapo's traditional attacking flair proved little trouble for the "Royalians" in the opening 25 minutes and QRC caught "Compre" strikers Kevin Lewis and Tafari Williams in the offside trap at least five times in the first 45 minutes.

Still, Lewis might have done better with his pass for Williams in the first ten minutes, as QRC goalkeeper Nicholas Dick swallowed up the cross.

At the other end, QRC would rue three great chances, including Thomas's enthusiastic, but ill-advised run to claim a cross ball. The custodian missed, but QRC midfielder Duane Muckette's right-footed slice from distance on the left floated wide.

But in the 29th it was QRC who made the defensive blunder, as left-back Jumaane Cox slipped on the ball, letting in Williams, who squared for Lewis to tap tamely  under Thomas and into goal from four metres out.

And with the momentum until the break swinging their way, Mucurapo would have been the happier team at half-time.

That momentum swung QRC's way in the second half--at least after Mucurapo's initial surge. In the 54th Akil Morris did everything right for the Royalians, bursting past Thomas before lamky defender Ariel Mc David intervened.

Muckette teed up from 19 yards to force a beautiful left-handed save from Thomas, and with five minutes to go, Morris again blew past Thomas, but could not find his lurking teammates in the six-yard box.

Mc David made Dick save at full stretch late on, but two minutes of stoppage time also failed to separate the teams.

Today there will be matches in the North and South Zones, with Fatima College facing Trinity College in Moka from 3.45 p.m., at the same time Vessigny Secondary and Princes Town West Secondary clash at Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin.

Today's Fixtures:

North Zone

Fatima College vs Trinity College, Moka, 3.45 p.m.

South Zone

Vessigny vs Princes Town West, Mahaica, 3.45 p.m.

Yesterday's Results:

North Zone

QRC 1 (Terrique Ransome 3rd) vs East Mucurapo 1 (Kevin Lewis 29th)

St Anthony's 3 (Moriba Ballah, Jamali Garcia, Darryl Trim) vs St Mary's 0

South Zone

Pleasantville Sec 2 vs Naparima College 1

Presentation College [Sando] 3 vs St Benedict's College 2

East Zone

Barataria South Sec 0 vs Toco Sec 2