By Joe Chapman

REIGNING Digicel Schools Football Championss Christianburg/Wismar Secondary began their 2016 campaign in ominous fashion as they trounced Linden Foundation Secondary 7-0 yesterday at the Wisburg Secondary School ground.The Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) championship leg entered its second day after Tuesday’s 1-0 win by Mackenzie High over Harmony at the same venue.
‘Multi’ took the lead as early as the 2nd minute through Keshawn Dey and almost doubled 10 minutes later after a swirling shot from Anthony Gill crashed on to the crossbar with the Linden Foundation Secondary goalkeeper Cleveland Jonas beaten.
The eventual second goal came from a Jonnel Williams cross which linked up with Brian Johnson, who completed the play in the 15th minute. This was followed one minute later as Johnson fired a flat rasping shot that beat the opposing goalkeeper Jonas who was guarding his near post.
Johnson returned in the 25th minute to complete his hat-trick and to take his team to a 4-0 lead which stretched till the half.
Two minutes after play resumed the defending champions got goal number five through a penalty from Hubert Adams after defender Malcolm Layne handled the ball in the box.
The Christianburg Wismar Secondary team then added goal number six when Omar Brewley collected a neat, squared ball and calmly controlled it before slapping it past the hapless Jonas to score in the 58th minute.
The game was wrapped up in the 70th minute for the champions, as Shaquille Campbell got his name on the scorer’s sheet after the play developed from the left to inside right where he completed the play with a crisp shot.
Speaking to reporters after the game head coach Anthony Stephens (Jr) said that his team experimented with their forward line which featured basically their substitutes.
The coach admitted his team generally moved somewhat away from their game plan in the second half and they missed quite a number of scoring opportunities but was quick to say, “I am satisfied with the performance as normally we do start these tournaments shakily”.
Asked if his team felt pressure as defending champions for the fourth straight year he responded:” The pressure is not on us. We have been in the final for five years and the young players now in the team as rookies are hungry to live up to that reputation.that will put our opponents under pressure.”
This afternoon New Silvercity Secondary will oppose Harmony in another game of the Linden leg from 15:30hrs.