EVEN though they were reduced to eight men, pre-tournament favourites Chase Academy overcame a spirited attack from giant killers Dolphin Secondary to come away with a 2-1 win and with it the second annual Petra Organisation/Nestle Milo Under-20 Schools Football Championships last Tuesday night.Playing in front of a huge partisan crowd at the Ministry of Education ground after witnessing ousted champions Lodge Secondary edge Morgan’s Learning Centre 2-1 to take third place, both finalists took the field of play, with Dolphin doing so amidst loud cheers from their cheerleaders who waved pom-poms and shouted out their school’s name with pride and gusto.

When referee Colin McPherson sounded the whistle to signal the start of play, a see-saw battle for supremacy ensued within the first 14 minutes, before Chase’s top marksman Isaiah Reddy, who was later named Most Valuable Player-of-the-tournament, separated the two sides in the 15th minute.
He pounced on a poor goal kick from Dolphin custodian Dante Forde midway inside their own half, weaved his way around the defence before beating Forde to his left, much to the delight of his teammates, coaching staff that included national midfielder Vurlon Mills and head teacher Henry Chase.
Dolphin had the distinct opportunity to nullify Reddy’s goal a mere five minutes after, when one of their top marksman, Leon Richardson, was gifted with a well-weighted pass from the right side of the field, but instead of controlling the ball and taking the shot, he opted for a volley which sailed over the crossbar.
Five minutes later and Richardson muffed another opportunity to level the score, this time heading the ball wide of the uprights when he challenged Chase custodian, Amanacke Forde, in the air, following another well-weighted pass, this time from Emil Cosbert.
The score line remained 1-0 in favour of Chase at lemon-time and on the resumption of play, the pattern that occurred before the game’s lone goal was scored in the first half, continued for approximately three minutes in the second, before Chase lost their first player in Jeremy Garnett who was issued marching orders from the game for violent conduct in the 49th minute.
Former national Under-17 player Shamar Barrow, who last year represented New Campbellville Secondary in this tournament, had a spirited run at Dolphin’s goal but the safe hands of Forde were difficult to penetrate and after one such effort later in the contest, he was substituted for Josiah Charles.
However, when Mills and company thought that Charles would have made a difference at the top, he too muffed several goal-scoring chances for Chase, who got their second goal when Cosbert, in his attempt to block a pass that was intended for Reddy from Charles, steered the ball into his own goal with Forde left stranded on the first post in the 70th minute.
Both Ozeal Small of Chase Academy and Joseph McKenzie from Dolphin were issued marching orders for abusive language to each other. Aleim Murray brought the game down to a one-goal difference for Dolphin, with five minutes to go.
Murray’s goal brought some amount of life back to Dolphin who went on an out-and-out attack in search of the equaliser, forcing the nine-man Chase Academy lineup to be on the defensive. Matters got further out of hand for Chase, who lost the services of Job Caesar, a former student of Dolphin in the dying seconds of the game for using excessive force on an opposing player.
It was the last dramatic piece that occurred in the night’s action, as McPherson’s whistle ended the contest and the celebrations for Chase Academy commenced. Chase Acadeny took home the winners trophy and $500 000 which will go towards a project in their school.
While Reddy was named MVP, Forde was also named Best Goalkeeper and Mills – Best Coach, enabling Chase Academy to take home the hog of the individual awards, as Dolphin copped the second-place prize of $300 000.
Kelsey Benjamin of Queenstown Secondary received accolades for Most Goals while his school was named Best Disciplined School on display.
In the third place playoff, Lodge, who had lost to Dolphin in their semifinal matchup, came back from a goal down to defeat Morgan’s Learning Centre 2-1, with Kevin Boters (15th) and Ryan Hackett (57th) providing the goals for the former champions’ victory, after Vermont Munroe had given Morgan’s the lead with his 8th minute goal. Lodge took home $200 000 and Morgan’s $100 000.
At the presentation ceremony that followed, Guyana Football Federation Technical Director Claude Bolton, Nestle Brand Manager Renita Sital and Petra Organisation’s Troy Mendonca all made brief remarks, congratulating the finalists for a good show.

By Calvin Roberts