Garcia’s double shut out East Mucurapo 2-0

WALTER ALIBEY

Senior Multimedia Reporter

walter.alibey@guardian.co.tt

Two goals from captain Derrel Garcia lifted ten-man St Benedict’s College to a 2-0 victory over East Mucurapo Secondary Schools in the Premier Division of the Secondary Schools FootbalLeague at the QRC Ground, Serpentine Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

The Mucurapo Road men were dogged in defence and held firm for most of the match, while also attempting to play on the counterattack. However, Garcia, a former national youth player who had been a thorn in the East Mucurapo side all afternoon long, could not be stopped in the 59th minute, as he latched on a Cam’Ron Burke forward pass in the centre of the pitch, and from some 20-plus yards out, Garcia unleashed a thunderous low drive that caught Mucurapo goalkeeper Orlando Francis stranded to the opposite side of the goalpost for a 1-0 advantage.

The goal allowed the premier division leaders to breathe easily after a goalless first half in which they dominated but couldn’t find a way through the thick East Mucurapo defence.

Earlier in the 57th minute, the Southerners may have gotten the opener from a neat build-up from left to right that landed at the feet of Burke on the left side when he hastily delivered it airborne for Josiah Ochoa on the right side, but the usually clinical midfielder could not control his attempt, hitting the ball high over the crossbar.

With East Mucurapo facing relegation, their attempts to offer attacks at St. Benedict’s goal were foiled by an equally dogged Southerners defence. Still, with their attempts few and far in between, the Dale Saunders-coached Mucurapo settled for the task of trying to contain Garcia and company with the score at 1-0.

And they were successful in the 72nd minute as Ethan Trotman gallopped on to a neatly threaded ball through the centre, but challenged by two defenders, Trotman hit it over.

However, they could do nothing in the 81st minute when the talented Garcia used his speed to get ahead of two defenders and hit it powerfully past the Mucurapo custodian for a 2-0 advantage.

Late in the game though, East Mucurapo’s Jayden Lewis was put in the clear when St Benedict’s defender Ackeem James went to the ground as he attempted to boot out a long pass aimed at Lewis. But with James sliding to the ground, he held on to Lewis, forcing referee Jerome McIntyre to issue a red card.

The card though came too late and could not help the Mucurapo men in the end.

The win instead ensured that St. Benedict’s College maintained a six-point advantage at the top while defending champions Fatima College played to 2-2 draw with Speyside at their home ground on Mucurapo Road, Port-of-Spain.

RESULTS

East Mucurapo- 0 vs St Benedict’s- 2 (Derrel Garcia 59th, 81st)

Malick – 1 (Jordan Ferdinand) vs Presentation- 3 (Isaiah Jacob, Caleb Boyce, Josiah Bain)

Fatima- 2 vs Speyside- 2 (Micha Walton 49th, Riquelme Phillips 73rd)

Miracle Ministries- 1 (Kyle Holder) vs Signal Hill- 1

Naparima- 2 (Israel Joseph, Jabari Rodriguez) vs St Mary’s College-0

St Anthony’s- 4 (Andell Fraser 2, Mordecai Forde 2) vs QRC- 1 (Stephon James)

St Augustine- 1 (Abraham Kirk) vs San Juan- 1 (Jaheim Danclair)

Trinity College- 1 (Khaleem Prince) vs Arima North-1 (Zion Metivier)

Latest SSFL Premier Division standings

Pos Teams*P* W* D* L* F* A* Pts

1*St Benedict’s*10*9*1*0*18*6*28

2*Presentation*9*7*1*1*23*5*22

3*Fatima*10*6*2*2*28*11*20

4*St Anthony’s*9*6*0*3*21*10*18

5*Arima North*10*4*6*0*18*5*18

6*Naparima*8*4*3*1*16*6*15

7*St Augustine*9*4*2*3*11*13*14

8*QRC*10*4*1*5*13*14*13

9*Malick*9*3*3*3*18*19*11

10*San Juan North*10*3*1*6*16*18*10

11*St Mary’s*10*3*1*6*9*23*10

12*Signal Hill*9*2*3*4*17*23*9

13*Trinity East*10*2*1*7*13*18*7

14*Speyside*8*1*3*4*10*18*6

15*East Mucurapo*9*2*0*7*5*14*6

16*Miracle Ministries*9*1*1*7*3*32*4

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