… NATI, CWSS and Waramadong
THANKS to Jermaine Junor’s brace, the Government Technical Institute (GTI) were able to defeat Bygeval Secondary School (BSS) 4-2 at the Carifesta Sports Complex ground yesterday, to advance to the semifinal of the inaugural Digicel-sponsored nationwide Inter-school football tournament.
Also recording victories were New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) and Waramadong Secondary Schools to advance to the final four of the tournament which culminates on Sunday.
From the opening whistle, the Georgetown champions signalled their intention to dominate their opponents who were crowned champions of Region 4 in the tournament, when Junior worked his way inside BSS’s half, but was thwarted by the custodian Glenrick Reynolds.
In fact, Reynolds had an exemplary afternoon between the uprights for his team, even though he ended up on the losing end. He effected numerous saves to keep his team in the hunt against their more illustrious opponents who are touted to win the tournament.
Junior refused to let the custodian’s work hamper him, as he sent several shots to BSS’s goal area, whose defence proved to be the weakest part of their lineup and were rewarded when he worked his way into the box in the 23rd minute and placed his shot in the far corner of the Atlantic Ocean side goal.
Like a piranha hunting its victim after scenting blood in the water, the Woolford Avenue-based GTI lineup were all over their opponents for whom Mark Collins tried desperately to claw things back, with several shots at GTI’s goal.
The old adage ‘Constant banging breaks down walls,’ was evident, when Collins sent a rocket-like shot to GTI’s goal which left their custodian Nkosi Barker in no man’s land on the near post, as the ball settled at the back of the net in the 35th minute to bring his team level.
The goal brought both teams alive, as they hunted each other’s goal area in search of the advantage goal, with BSS’s defensive lineup, which included Samuel Charles, Abraham Browne, Marvin Smith and Chavez Abrams, being forced to withstand GTI’s attack.
There is a saying also, “What miss you, don’t pass you” and certainly GTI’s throng of supporters must have been rejoicing at halftime, as they were leading 2-1, thanks to  Junor’s second goal which was scored one minute before the lemon-time whistle.
An acrobatic save from Reynolds denied Junor the opportunity to record his hat-trick, while Collins was forced to return to the forward position for BSS, after seeing Charles pick up his second yellow card and automatically marching orders by the referee.
But being a man down was not a sorry thing for the East Coast-based BSS team, as they attacked their opponents relentlessly in search of the equaliser and duly got same when Collins let loose another rocket-like shot to beat Barker in the 72nd minute of the game.
With the scores level, and an emotional Reynolds joining his teammates in celebrating Collin’s double, many felt that BSS would have taken a breather and allowed GTI to bring the game to them, but that was not so, as they attacked from all angles available, forcing Barker to affect numerous saves.
Based on the height advantage created by the substitutions made by BSS’s coach, along with Collins’ urgent need for a breather, GTI were able to take command of the game and score two goals in the dying stages of the game, with Kiefer Adams scoring in the 84th minute and Alleyne from a penalty three minutes later.
In other results, Waramadong defeated Charity Secondary 4-1 at the NOC ground, with Tyson McNaughton scoring a hat-trick, NATI swamped Stewartville Secondary 8-1, thanks to Devon James’ hat-trick and CWSS got past Port Kaituma one-nil.
In tomorrow’s semifinals which will be played at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, GTI and NATI will do battle from 16:00hrs, while CWSS and Waramadong will meet from 18:00hrs, with the third-place playoff and final taking place at the same venue on Sunday.