REGIONAL champions of Region 9 in this year’s Digicel-sponsored nationwide Inter-Secondary School football competition, St Ignatius proved their worth yesterday afternoon at the Tucville Community Centre ground, when they humiliated Georgetown Champions Lodge Secondary School, 8-1. Their skipper and inspirational midfielder Mark Joseph led the goal spree with four second-half goals. His team did not only humiliate their opponents who were playing at a venue they know like the back of their hand, but they also booked a place in tomorrow’s semifinal in the process.
Also recording victories were Region 10 champions and last year’s runner-up Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School who drubbed Charity Secondary School 11-0 at the Wisburg ground in Linden.
At the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground, Bygeval Secondary, who are the champions of Region Four, crushed Leonora Secondary 8-0, while at the Skeldon Community Centre ground in Berbice, Waramadong inflicted a 9-0 whipping on Tutorial Academy.
At the Tucville ground, St Ignatius were forced to face their opponents and vociferous supporters, but like the true champions they are, they withstood a barrage of verbal abuse to come out on top, by playing team football, coupled with tactical display, that left their opponents bewildered.
The game was played in soggy conditions, created by heavy overnight and early morning rain and despite this minor setback, St Ignatius knocked the ball around their opponents, sometimes having seven to eight touches before firing to goal.
Certainly, if the Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation Jamal Shabazz was present, he would have been impressed by Lethem’s ability to make plays and occupy the free spaces with the greatest of ease, while their defence stood strong when called upon.
After seeing their custodian Rohan Nicholas deny Lodge’s Jamal McPherson in the early stages of the first half, St Ignatius, whose strike force consisted of Joseph, Michael Smith and Brian Robeiro, forced their opponents’ defence which was led by Sherwin Joseph, Ray Samagon, Kareem Johnson and Jamal Gibbs, to work overtime on several occasions.
After receiving a gem of a pass from his team mate Franklyn Parks who had wormed his way inside Lodge’s defence with the greatest of ease, Kenroy Robinson made no mistake in placing the ball past Jamal Daly, who was doing duty between the uprights for Lodge, to give St Ignatius a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.
Eight minutes later and the scoreline read 2-0 in favour of the Region 9 champions, after Parks positioned himself behind a free kick from approximately 20 metres out and beat Daly with a well-placed shot low to his right.
This was after Lodge’s inspirational skipper Keith Fletcher had flown the half side trap set by his opponents and sprinted to their goal area, only to find a stubborn Nicholas in his way, as the custodian showed he was equal to the task when he completed the save with the greatest of ease, to the surprise of many.
When the lemon time whistle sounded, the score read 3-0 in favour of St Ignatius, whose third goal came of the boot of Michael Smith, after Parks had struck the crossbar with a fiercely taken shot from the top of the box.
Whatever St Ignatius coach said to them during the break proved effective, as they recorded five second-half goals, with Joseph finding the back of the net in the 63rd, 68th, 71st and 72nd minutes to complete his helmet-trick while Jude McDonald added his singular strike in the 61st minute.
Lodge’s consolation goal came off the boot of the hardworking Sherwin Joseph, who beat Nicholas with a beautiful shot on the near post in the 70th minute – a goal that sparked some life into his team mates, even though they knew they were fighting a losing battle.
The semifinals will be played tomorrow and will see Waramadong taking on Bygeval at the Carifesta Sports Complex ground while at the Den Amstel ground, Wismar/Christianburg Secondary will oppose St Ignatius in the second semifinal, with the winners meeting in Sunday’s final at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground. Both matches kick off at 1530hrs.