DESPITE losing the actual encounter 3-1, defending champions Paramakatoi Secondary School (PSS) retained their title as champions of Region two in the Digicel Inter-secondary School football tournament, following the disqualification of Mahdia Secondary School,   found guilty of playing a non-student. The actual encounter was witnessed by a fair sized and vociferous crowd including Regional Educational Officer (REO) of Region Two, Ronald Harsawack at the Mahdia Community Centre ground last Saturday, who cheered on the home team every time they touched the ball, while they applauded the visitors who displayed grit, stamina and determination to highlight their character as champions of that zone.
The action got underway under the guidance of referee Stanley Lancaster and approximately 15 minutes into the fast paced encounter, PSS won a free kick inside MSS half, with the resulting kick which was taken by Leon Johnson, being clutched safely by MSS’ custodian Keyon Justice.
At the other end of the field, MSS’ Stefon Maycock wormed his way inside the penalty area of PSS, but stern defence from Ezra Anicetus, Kepson Edmond, Clinton Pereira and Mauricio Gomes, prevented him from getting a shot off.
MSS’s defence led by Albert Daniels, Chavez Prince, Michael George and Rownel Summers was also called upon to thwart off the sporadic efforts of the defending champions strike line which was led by the diminutive Emery Wilson on several occasions.
At one time, Wilson worked his way down the right flank, past a flat footed George and sent a low ball across the home team’s goal mouth where Dixon Toney and Robert Peters were present, but could not get a touch onto the ball, even though Justice was left stranded out of the goal.
Nevertheless, their hard work paid off when Pereira latched onto a loose ball in Mahdia’s midfield area and sent a onetime shot to goal, with the ball nestling comfortably at the back of the net in the 28th minute, to hand his team a 1-0 lead.
They held onto that lead at lemon time, thanks to some resilient defensive attitude amidst the numerous attacks that were launched at their goal area by the opposition strike line,  and were forced to replace Justice with Clinton Hendricks, after he picked up a shoulder injury.
MSS continued their attack in the second half in search of the equalizer and even though they found the back of the net twice in five minutes, both goals were disallowed as the player was caught in the offside trap by the linesman.
Nevertheless, they got same in the 53rd minute, when Sheldon Fletcher who scored all three goals for MSS beat PSS’ custodian Chavis King from a goal mouth scrimmage in the 53rd minute.
Three minutes later and it was 2-1 in favour of MSS, when Fletcher beat a hapless looking King from inside the box, after receiving a pass from Stefon Maycock, who himself had wormed his way inside PSS’s penalty area, following a gem of a pass from Quasie Domingo.
A battle for possession prevailed after McKenzie’s second goal, as both coaches shouted instructions from the sideline to their players and when Fletcher completed his hattrick in the 81st minute, following another goalmouth scrimmage, many felt MSS had gotten their revenge following their defeat in last year’s tournament to the same team, even though it was done at the toss of a coin.
That goal took the wind out of the sail PSS were using to charter their course, and was it not for the resilience that was displayed by their defence line, MSS would have scored more goals and record a mammoth victory.
However, the controversy reigned first when MSS’ coach substituted Corlis Prince, amidst cries from the spectators on the touchline, after PSS’s coach felt he was too big to be a student, and when the game was over, it was disclosed that McKenzie is an employee at the Mahdia District Hospital.
According to one teacher from PSS, he went to that school just after last year’s tournament was concluded, to write his CSEC examinations, while another said he was employed at the hospital, a fact that was confirmed by the Regional Medical Officer, via telephone.
With that in mind, Digicel’s Darell Yearwood, who had a lengthy discussion with the referees and the principal of MSS, disqualified the victorious school from the tournament and handed the win to the defending champions.
They received gear for their further participation in the tournament, along with the Regional championship trophy and gold medals, while MSS received silver medals and the championship trophy and were left to rue their chances of advancing in the tournament once again.
Meanwhile, PSS took on Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School, the regional champions of Region 10 at the same venue last night, with the winner opposing Charity Secondary School on Wednesday in a quarterfinal encounter at a venue to be named.
In his brief remarks, Harsawack lauded both Digicel and the teams for the magnificent performance they displayed during the encounter, while he congratulated PSS on retaining their championship honours for another year and wish them well in their further participation in the tournament.