Christianburg Wismar claims hat-trick of titles with 2-0 win over Waramadong
… Bush Lot places third

FOR THE third successive year and in the presence of another vociferous throng of supporters, two-time defending champions Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) defeated Waramadong Secondary to take their third successive Digicel Inter-Secondary School Football Championships at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last night.Witnessed by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Digicel Chief Executive Officer Gregory Dean, Marketing Director Jacqueline James and other top officials, an own goal in the 46th minute, followed by a Donovan Francis strike in the 68th minute, was all the defending champions needed to retain their title.
Prior to the playing of the final under lights, Bush Lot Secondary and Beterverwagting Secondary met in the third place playoff, for which the former came out on top 3-1, with Jervon McKenzie (8th) and Shane James (68th, 81st) scoring for the winners, after Paul Kingston sent BV in the lead in the 4th minute.
In the final, CWSS’ Shane Luckie evaded the defence in the fifth minute, during a time when both teams were looking to assert themselves in all areas of the contest, but his shot to goal went wide, even though WSS custodian Gerald Isaacs was equal to the task.
At the other end of the field, a Myles Albert free kick from midway inside the eventual victors’ half, missed the uprights after a beaten Joshua Douglas was lying prostate on the ground and with no goals materialising in the first half, both sides took the break with a clean scoresheet to their name.
On the resumption of play, an own goal which came off the boot of Camal George in the 46th minute, handed CWSS the lead much to the delight of the spectators, who used the noise-making gadgets that were handed to them at the entrance, to celebrate the lead.
Determined to nullify their opponents’ lead, Waramadong introduced Uriah King and Collier Daniels into the game for Ashton Ward and Myles George, while their opponents made two substitutions, bringing in Kurd Johnson and Nigel Caesar for Ezra Ashby, who had a first-half goal denied for breaching the offside rule, and Dequan Hercules.
For CWSS, it was a move that paid dividend, as Francis latched onto a well weighted pass from Johnson, to elude his marker and beat Isaacs on his last post in the 68th minute, to double his team lead, one that they defended sternly despite the sporadic efforts of Albert, until the final whistle.
At the brief presentation ceremony which followed, Annai Secondary’s Carville Daniels won the Golden Boot award for his 11 goals while Douglas was named the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament which saw 139 games being played and 758 goals being scored.
For their win, CWSS collected a cheque for $1M which will go towards a school project, the winners’ trophy, a replica and medallions, WSS uplifted $600 000, a trophy and medallions, even as Bush Lot and BV Secondary received $400 000 and $200 000 respectively for their third- and fourth-placed finishes, while all four teams received Smartphones compliments of Digicel.

(By Calvin Roberts)