Arima advance to Intercol semis

AS EXPECTED, star striker Gorean “Mickey Rat” Highley came up trumps for Arima, scoring twice to give his team a 2-1 win over Naparima in the quarter-finals of the RBTT National Intercol tournament, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella yesterday.

And Arima, the “Dial Dynamos” will now face Signal Hill in the semis on Monday at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago. Highley netted the winner in the 7th minute of the first half of sudden-death (97th) via the penalty spot, blasting his spot kick past goalkeeper Rondell Renwick. Tempers flared after referee Ramesh Ramdhan awarded the visitors a penalty when striker Devon King, who was sent clear by Jevon Crichlow, was bundled over by defenders Dezi Lara and Lyndel Pompey. The diminutive Highley opened the scoring in the 33rd, dispossessing Lara and slotting past the flat-footed Renwick. Naps countered in the 39th, with Lara’s cousin Kezi lobbing Arima keeper Ryan Ajim, but defender Jesse Martinez cleared the loose ball. Arima bombarded the Naps defence in the second half, but terrible finishing in front of goal will later prove costly.

After Jammiel Smith had his 54th minute drive parried by Renwick, an unmarked Dorian Daniel failed to connect on the rebound while, eight minutes later, a Real Didier free-kick was met by winger Kitwana Abosi whose shot hit an upright. But to the shock of his teammates, an unmarked Keston Henry, with the goal at his mercy, shot wide from five yards out. A similar result in the 65th, with an Abosi centre met by Daniel but, with no defender in sight, he also sent his shot wide of the mark. Naps made Arima pay in the 70th, when a long ball by substitute Adisa Connel was collected on the left by Ancil Farrier and his cross was met by Kern Robinson. With Ajim racing off  his line, Robinson calmly chipped the ball over him to knot up the scores. Daniel in the 79th and King 90th, had opportunities to get the winner but failed, and it was left to Highley to be the hero and earn Arima a place in the semi-finals.