– East Ruimveldt secure first-day honours

By Rawle Toney
DEFENDING Champions Chase Academy had a successful start to their title defence, following a 5 – 0 win over Tucville Secondary, when the 4th Petra Organisation/Milo School’s Football Tournament got on the way yesterday at the Ministry of Education ground.

East Ruimveldt was the only other school to secure a win on opening, since Cummings Lodge, St Mary’s, Dolphin and Kingston Secondary Schools saw their games ending in draws.

Ryan Parris scored a hat-trick, while Kelsey Benjamin and Ryan Hackett netted a goal each for Chase Academy.

Watched by a fair-sized crowd on the competition’s first day, Hackett would put last year’s winners in the lead, 23 minutes into the contest.

Chase Academy would be guilty of missing several certain goal-scoring chances, after Hackett’s strike, but Parris would score his first of three goals on the day in the 44th minute.

With a 2 – 0 lead at the half, Benjamin would put his side up 3 – 0 with his early goal in the second stanza and in the 60th minute, Parris netted his second of the game.

Five minutes later (65th minute), Parris completed his hat-trick when he clinically slotted home his effort to the lower left corner, after collecting the ball in the penalty area and getting around the advancing keeper.
Meanwhile, Kingston Secondary would rebound from being down 2 – 0, to secure an entertaining 2 – 2 draw with Dolphin Secondary.

Leon Richardson had given Dolphin Secondary the lead in the 16th minute, when he converted from the penalty spot, and then finished his double on the day in the 46th minute to give his school a 2 – 0 cushion.

However, Levi Williams’s 57th minute goal started a come-back for Kingston Secondary, until Vincent Thomas’s goal in the 63rd minute secured the draw for Kingston Georgetown School.

Cummings Lodge Secondary and St Mary’s also played to a 2 – 2 draw.

Alleyne Haynes’s double in the 24th and 31st minute had placed Cummings Lodge in a good position to pick up a win on the first day, but Shaquille Inniss’s brace (43rd and 58th minutes) pulled the game back for St Mary’s Secondary.
Playing in the first game of this year’s tournament, East Ruimveldt made light work of St Winefride’s 2-1, thanks to goals from Kenrick Lewis and Brian James in the 22nd and 61st minutes, respectively.
Michael Joseph scored in the 56th minute for St Winefride’s Secondary School.

The tournament will continue today with favourites Morgan Learning Centre taking on North Ruimveldt Secondary at 12:30 hrs, after the opening fixture between Brickdam Secondary and St Joseph High School at 11:00 hrs.

At 14:00 hrs, former champions Lodge Secondary will come up against North Georgetown and the final game brings together Queen’s College against Houston Secondary from 15:30 hrs.