A GOLIATH clash between Chase Academic Foundation and Morgan Learning Centre has been set up for the final of this year’s Petra-organised Milo-sponsored Schools U-18 football tournament at the Ministry of Education ground.
Following Wednesday evening’s semi-finals at the same venue, both teams had vast paths to their spot and only time will tell who the winner of the tournament will be.
Chase, playing the feature game against Sir Leon Lessons, were on the attack from the get-go, with several enterprising runs that were kept out by the keeper.
They used their speed and tenacity to keep the ball in the Leon half for most of the first half, going strike and coming up empty-handed.
The best chance of the half came after Job Caesar latched on to a through ball when he was rushing into the half but before the shot could be taken, he was brought down in the box by a questionable tackle.
Nonetheless, the Chase side continued to press on and looked the more likely to score, even when the half ended with the game scoreless.
But Leon’s defensive wall begun to show cracks and all it took in the second half was Caesar cutting in from the right side of the field to finally seal the goal and put the Chase side ahead in the 67th minute much to the pleasure of their fans who flocked the ground.
Leon seemed to now gradually dispose of their defensive mind and waded into the Chase half, their closest effort of the game pushed off target by the diving hands of the goalkeeper.
However, it was all over just before the whistle as Caesar made it 2-0 in the 90+1 sending Chase fans into jubilation and Leon’s fans sulking home.
In the earlier game, Morgan Learning Centre overcame Masters Academy 2-1 thanks to Daniel Floyd (18th) and Chris Macey (49th).
Mario Eastman’s 80th minute goal was the only scored for Masters and they will be ruing the referee’s decision to disallow a goal in the 85th due to a handball infringement
The final and third-place playoff is set for Sunday, April 9, at the same venue from 17:00hrs where the winners will take home $500 000 to go towards a school project and the championship trophy.
Second-, third- and fourth-placed teams will collect $300 000, $200, 00 and $100 000 respectively for a project of the school’s choice.
The tournament is sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health under the Theme ‘Stop the Violence’.