Goals from Denzil Gill and Shaquille Holder in either half for Carapichaima East Secondary, put the Central Zone champion into this year’s National BGTT/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League “Big-Five” semifinal, following a narrow 2-1 win over Scarborough Secondary. This was at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, yesterday.
Gill found the opener in the 25th minute, for a lead which Carapichaima would hold until the half. Immediately after the half-time interval, Carapichaima came out with intent and got their second item within seconds when Holder ran past the Scarborough defence to finish easily past Kemo Gardener in goal.
Scarborough suffered a blow at the dismissal of Semel Crichlow, close to the hour mark. Crichlow was shown the red for a foul on Holder, who was on a free run at goal. Holder was a torment on the day, having several chances to put the team further ahead.
The Tobago team, however, were able to find a reply, minutes later when Christopher Morgan placed his header past goalkeeper Demetrius Edwards, in the 66th minute to make it 2-1. The 2001 national champion, Scarborough were unable to find a second item despite moments of pressure, resulting in a semifinal berth for Carapichaima.
Carapichaima now meets first-time South Zone champion, Shiva Boys’ in the second semifinal at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Monday from 4pm.
On Friday, back-to-back North Zone winner St Anthony’s College comes up against newly crowned East Zone champion, El Dorado East at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 4pm.
This after “El Do” dubbed the “Blue Thunder” roared past last year’s zonal and national champion St Augustine Secondary in their zonal decider, 2-1 in the second match of a re-scheduled double-header at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima.
Dwight Quintero opened the scoring in the 15th minute for the “Blue Thunder when he beat “Green Machine” goalkeeper Kerron Jones from close range after eluding his marker.
Two minutes into the second-half, the “Green Machine” which needed a victory to take the crown drew level via a free-kick from captain Jamal Creighton which took a deflection on its way past “Blue Thunder” goalkeeper Hakeem Lucas.
But with 14 minutes left to play, Jameel Forde regained the lead for the Trevor Spicer-coached “Blue Thunder”while Quintero also saw an effort crash off the cross-bar in the final minute, with Forde miscuing the follow-up attempt.
With the win El Dorado ended the league campaign with 30 points from 12 matches, three more than Arima North Secondary which blanked San Juan North 2-0 in the opener.
El Dorado now shifts its attention to the national “Big Five” semi-final where it faces North Zone champion, St Anthony’s College at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday from 4pm for a spot in the national Final on November 3.
Final Zonal Standings
North
Teams P W D L F A Pts
St Anthony’s 12 12 0 0 32 7 36
East Mucurapo 12 8 2 2 26 13 26
Fatima 12 5 1 6 16 18 16
QRC 12 4 3 5 22 20 15
St Mary’s 12 4 1 7 16 16 13
Trinity 12 4 0 8 14 27 12
Malick 12 1 1 10 7 32 4
East
Teams P W D L F A Pts
El Do East 12 9 3 0 44 6 30
Arima North 12 8 3 1 39 4 27
St Augustine 12 8 1 3 37 10 25
San Juan North 12 4 3 5 31 14 15
Trinity East 12 3 3 6 22 20 12
Toco 12 1 4 7 10 36 7
Barataria South 12 0 1 11 6 99 1
South
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Shiva Boys’ 12 8 2 2 35 10 26
Presentation 12 8 1 3 25 12 25
Naparima 12 7 1 4 22 16 22
Pleasantville 12 6 3 3 23 11 21
P/Town West 12 3 3 6 9 16 12
St Benedict’s 12 2 2 8 9 19 8
Vessigny 12 2 0 10 12 51 6
Central
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Carapichaima 10 9 1 0 44 5 28
Couva West 10 7 0 3 27 14 21
Gasparillo 10 6 2 2 20 8 20
Tabaquite 10 3 1 6 17 27 10
Presentation 10 3 0 7 14 21 9
Waterloo 10 0 0 10 3 50 0
Tobago
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Scarborough 8 7 1 0 24 5 22
Signal Hill 8 5 1 2 30 9 16
Mason Hall 8 4 0 4 14 21 12
Speyside 8 3 0 5 14 21 9
Pentecostal 8 0 0 8 4 30 0
Caps edge Scarborough to reach 'Big Five' semis.
By Kern De Freitas (Express).
Shaquille Gill tormented Scarborough in the first half and earned "Caps" a 1-0 lead at the break, while Shaquille Holder doubled the advantage for Carapichaima early in the second period.
Christopher Morgan powered in a wonderful header to hand Scarborough a lifeline, but it was not enough to complete a comeback.
Caps coupled constructive aggression — despite a few too many missed chances — with urgent defence late on to make sure their advantage stood all the way and never stopped looking for the insurance goal, even after Scarborough went down to ten men early in the second half.
Scarborough showed great character when 2-0 down to fight their way back into the match, but it was not enough to surmount the challenge by the Central Zone champs, who retained their unbeaten tag with an impressive display.
Scarborough's defensive mindset was immediately apparent from the first whistle; their first six touches were all clearances off the field.
Their first counter-attack nearly cost the Tobago champions as they lost the ball deep in the Carapichaima half. Scarborough conceded a free kick at the edge of the penalty area from the ensuing Caps' breakaway, with Kareem Ryce booting the ball just over.
Scarborough had two wasted free kicks on the offensive end as their best attacking options of the half.
From there, Carapichaima turned on the pressure--Gill was a nightmare for a ten-minute period and should have scored when set free on the left of the penalty area, but he shot straight at the onrushing Gardiner in the Scarborough goal.
He made up for his mistake a minute later, when another Scarborough attack went awry and Caps sprung into action. Captain Shaquille Holder brought the ball into the penalty area and fed it to Gill, who picked his spot and flicked past the onrushing Gardiner.
The small, partisan Central crowd, who had been chastising the striker a minute earlier, were cheering loudly, accompanied by their wildly fluttering green flags.
Gill spurned another chance in the 29th by holding up the ball too long, while Christopher Prime shot straight at Gardiner.
Kareem Ryce also brought saves out of the Scarborough custodian before half-time — a point blank effort in the 41st, and another palm-stinger from 25 metres in the 44th.
Carapichaima went in at the break with a 1-0 lead they would have felt should have been greater.
Within four minutes from the resumption, the match was all but over for Scarborough. First, Holder capped off a nice attacking move, collecting a through-ball at the left side of the penalty area and making space with his right foot before placing the ball perfectly between the far post and Gardiner's outstretched left hand.
Then Scarborough right-back Semel Crichlow committed his second bookable offence by tugging back Prime once the winger had squeezed past him. That put Scarborough further behind, with more space for Carapichiama to exploit.
Scarborough now had little chance to attack, first with shots from distance that lacked penetration, and that desperation got them back into the game. They found their passing game and found Caps wanting a few times on the break.
The pressure told in the 68th, with the short figure of Morgan heading a long ball to the right of Demetrius Edwards in Carapichaima's goal. And two minutes later the transformation should have been complete, except that Kiel O'Neil missed the near post from very close range with Edwards out of goal as Caps were caught out on the break.
That miss prompted a mini-tantrum from Mickaeel Gordon, who had supplied the pass.
Ryce could have made it 3-1 at the end for Carapichaima, but in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time, he put his attempt way over.
Still, it mattered little as Caps are the winners and will now play new South Zone champions Shiva Boys Hindu College in next Monday's SSFL "Big Five" semi-final. For the night they celebrated victory and dulled the pain of last year's 3-1 defeat to Signal Hill Secondary at the same stage.
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