LIVERPOOL: Teenage striker Wayne Rooney guided Everton to a controversial 2-1 victory over Newcastle United yesterday and dealt a hammer blow to the Tynesiders’ title hopes.
Rooney, who helped England to a vital Euro 2004 qualifying win over Turkey on Wednesday, rounded off an unforgettable week for the 17-year-old by heading Everton in front after 18 minutes at Goodison Park. French winger Laurent Robert rifled in a stunning equaliser just before halftime, but a superb solo run and pass by Rooney for Kevin Campbell led to a match-winning penalty converted by David Unsworth in the 65th minute.
Defeat left third-placed Newcastle stuck on 61 points – six behind both Manchester United and Arsenal with six games left. Everton moved up to fifth on 53 points, one ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool and four behind Chelsea in the race to the fourth-place finish which means a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Man-of-the-match Rooney made an explosive start, put clean through with only seconds on the clock. Shay Given smothered the teenager’s shot but a flag also went up for offside. But Given had no chance in the 18th minute when David Weir nodded on a cleverly-worked corner and Rooney met the ball with a powerful close-range header which flew in off the post.
Newcastle rallied from the setback and were level in the 40th minute when Robert unleashed a piledriver from the left flank which keeper Richard Wright touched but could not stop. But Everton clinched the winner after a superb run from Rooney, who collected the ball out on the left touchline, beat two Newcastle as he cut inside and fed the ball through for Campbell. Woodgate’s clumsy interception left referee Neale Barry in no doubt and Unsworth smacked his spot-kick straight down the middle.
SOUTH EAST Port-of-Spain (SEPoS) retained its girls crown but relinquished their hold on the boys title as the curtain came down on the Berger Paints Secondary Schools Hockey League 2003 season. “
The SEPoS girls unit edged St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS) 2-1 at the St Joseph’s Convent Grounds, Federation Park, St. Clair, on Friday, with Grace Cupid netting a late winner for the back-to-back champs. Kristin Thompson gave SEPoS a halftime lead before Kwylan Jagessar equalised for SAGHS early in the second stanza. But St Mary’s College, with a first half goal from Ryan Rocke, pulled off a major upset, defeating SEPoS 1-0 in the boys final, the second match of the day’s doubleheader. Also at the Federation Park venue on Thursday, QRC whipped the Diego Martin Secondary/St George’s College combined team 3-1 for the boys’ third place title while St Joseph’s Convent Port-of-Spain needed penalty flicks to defeat Providence ‘A’ 1-0 after a 0-0 fulltime score.
LONDON: After the excitement of the Martell Cognac Grand National it’s back to the regular fare of Flat racing today and Windsor stages the day’s feature meeting where Jebal Suraaj looks the pick to land the Altwood Windsor BMW Maiden Stakes.
Mark Johnston’s charge looked a sure fire winner of the future following a pleasing debut second to the more experienced Anani in a nine runner event at Ascot last week. The subject of good gallops reports, the colt broke well and soon took the lead. Although the victor grabbed the lead a furlong out, Jebal Suraaj stuck to his task well as he plugged on for the runner up spot. That performance augured well for the future and he should lose that maiden tag here before going on to better things. Another making a long journey from the north of England is the treble seeking King’s Thought.
The King’s Theatre colt loves nothing better than to bowl along in front and saying ‘catch me if you can’. Those tactics have paid off twice on the all-weather with victories over Cut Rate by a neck and African Sahara by a length and a half at Lingfield. Steve Gollings obviously has his four-year-old in good heart and another positive show can be expected in the closing. At Southwell, Pheckless must have every chance of completing a double when he contests the Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap. Fulke Johnson Houghton’s charge looked impressive under Steve Carson when denying Mush by a length and a half at Lingfield in February. The partnership look to have every chance of repeating the dose in today’s seven furlongs event.
Kelso stages the day’s jumping fare and the Pat De Clermont Handicap Chase (for the Scott Briggs Challenge Trophy) looks within the grasp of Nephite. The New Zealand-bred Star Way gelding loves nothing better than to lead from the front tactics that worked for him at Newcastle and Market Rasen last month. On the negative side, if the sound jumping nine-year-old is headed he tends to sulk as he showed at Huntingdon in between those two successes but Richard Guest has obviously got the key to his charge and he can lead them home in this two miles, one furlong contest.
UNDER the theme “Twelve Years of Magic”, the Port-of- Spain and Environs Education District, in collaboration with sponsors ALGICO, will be staging the ALGICO/Rotary Games 2003 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of- Spain tomorrow.
The topic was derived from the 12 successive victories of the Port-of-Spain and Environs at the National Primary School Track and Field Championships. As many as 76 primary schools in the Port-of-Spain Education District are expected to take part at the Games, which will be officially opened by Education Minister Hazel Manning at 9.15 am. Other dignitaries expected to be at the opening ceremony are Sports Minister Roger Boynes, Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown, Director of School Supervision Janice Blackman, Junior Culture Minister Eddie Hart, President of the Port-of- Spain Rotary Club Christopher Knaggs and General Manager of ALGICO Barry Edghill.
Reigning Zonal Champs is the West ‘A’ Zone with Carenage Girls’ Government, St Michael’s School for Boys and Maraval RC expected to dominate proceedings, despite the challenge posed by joint 2002 winners West ‘B’ with the likes of Diego Martin Government, Diego Martin Boys’ RC and Diamond Vale Government in the fray. Other top athletes in the reckoning are Kevin Skinner from the Central ‘B’ Zone and Marissa Gayle from the North ‘B’ Zone, as well as Michelle Lee Ahyee, Claudia Herrera and Racquel King. And four persons will be honoured for their outstanding contribution to education and sport — Evelyn Ferreira, Barbara Lowhar, Francesca Rousseau and the late Neil Charles.
JAVED MOHAMMED will have a huge task ahead of him if he is to gain the success of his predecessors when he leads Trinidad and Tobago in the regional Under-15 cricket championships in St Vincent from April 14 to 24.
Trinidad and Tobago have won the last three titles and are unbeaten for the past three years in the tournament. Tishan Maraj led Trinidad and Tobago to their first title in 2000, followed by Aaron Ragoonath in 2001 and Jason Mohammed in 2002. Mohammed will have as his deputy Gewan Ramroop. The team will again be coached by highly regarded West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) accredited coach Bachan Boochoon and managed by Errol Forbes who has been with the team for the successful period. The squad will play two practice matches today and tomorrow at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain Village, Couva. From Monday they will undergo a mental preparation programme for one week before their departure.
TT team: Javed Mohammed (capt), Geewan Ramroop (vice-capt), Kervon Francois, Sunil Narine, Adrian Bharrat, Somant Maraj, Anthony Balgobin, Anderson Beharry, Vishan Jaggessar, Keegan Roy, Visham Ramroop, Rod Sheppard, Christopher Siewsanker and Vinod Persad.
NELLY WILLIAMS will captain Trinidad and Tobago’s women cricketers at the U-23 regional cricket championships in St Lucia from April 14.
The team sponsored by the Cable Company of Trinidad and Tobago leave on Sunday to compete against St Vincent, St Lucia, Jamaica, Guyana and the President’s XI. There are six Trinidad and Tobago players on the President’s XI team and they will be coached by another Trinidadian Brenda Solozano-Rodney.
TT team: Nelly Williams (capt), Sihle Wilson, Tasha Sooknanan, Jade Chadee, Tova Noel, Marissa Aguillera, Kirbyna Alexander, Sherna Assoon, Lee-Ann Kirby, Leah Mitchell, Alicia Vilafana, Nazra Ali, Anisa Mohammed, Kalise Tulsie, coach Marjorie Thomas, and manager Debbie Ann Lamorrel.
President’s XI players: Devika Singh, Sarona Samaroo, Michelle Borneo, Anisa Mohammed, Davie Latchman and Tamara Ramlogan.
DALLAS: Steve Nash notched 28 points and dished out 11 assists to pace the Dallas Mavericks to a 108-90 rout of the Orlando Magic.
The Canadian-born Nash was especially dangerous from 3-point range on Saturday night, making six of his 10 attempts. Dirk Nowitzki went him one better with 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting. The Mavericks raced to an early 19-point lead with Magic star Tracy McGrady, the NBA’s leading scorer, watching from the bench with a strained muscle in the rib area. McGrady decided to give it a go, but could do little to turn the game around, finishing with a mere 12 points in 25 minutes on the floor. Gordan Giricek had 18 points to head the Magic, who hold down seventh spot in the East.
In ATLANTA: Jason Terry poured in 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks, with all starters in double figures, defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 97-91. Pau Gasol topped Memphis scorers with 25 points, with backup Earl Watson adding 17.
In CLEVELAND: Ricky Davis counted a mere 17 points as the Cavaliers notched their 15th victory of the season, edging the New Orleans Hornets 79-76. Jamal Mashburn paced the playoff-bound Hornets with 23 points, with Jamaal Magloire adding 15 and grabbing 12 boards.
In CHICAGO: Jalen Rose poured in 31 points as the Chicago Bulls played spoiler in a 117-115 overtime win over the playoff-hopeful Milwaukee Bucks. Team mate Donyell Marshall added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Three Bucks topped 20 points, with Gary Payton best of the bunch with 24 to go with his 10 assists. The Bucks (38-40) had their lead over Washington in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference sliced to 2 1/2 games. They need any combination of three wins or Wizards’ losses to clinch that position.
In PHOENIX: Shawn Marion had 25 points and Stephon Marbury 23 to help the playoff-hungry Suns to a lopsided 111-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bo Outlaw added 19 points and 15 boards for the Suns, who now lead the idle Houston Rockets by 1 1/2 games for the last playoff spot in the West. Kevin Garnett paced the T-Wolves with 25 points and 17 rebounds, with team mate Wally Szczerbiak notching 23 points. In Los Angeles, former first overall draft pick Elton Brand counted 29 points as the Clippers outlasted the New York Knicks 109-98. Latrell Sprewell topped Knick scorers with the same 29 points.
THE ANTI Kidnapping Squad (AKS) has been called in to investigate a report that a mute and mentally-challenged man has been kidnapped for $1,000.
It was first thought that 22-year-old Vejay Morgansingh had wandered off as he usually does, according to his 60-year-old mother, Cynthia Morgansingh. But this theory changed when Morgansingh’s 84-year-old grandmother, Angela Pascall began receiving ransom demand calls on Thursday. Three telephone calls were made to the elderly woman’s home on that day, with the callers requesting $5,000 on one occasion and $10,000 twice.
Around 2.05pm Friday and in the presence of Morgansingh’s mother, another call came asking that $1,000 be given for the dumb man’s safe return. On that occasion, police said the alleged kidnappers said they would call back between 4 and 5pm, but they never did. Around 10.50pm Saturday, however, the kidnappers contacted Pascall asking her if the money was ready. Again they promised to call back yesterday, but up to late evening Pascall said they did not . The woman also said that the voices sounded different, and that the people on the other line threatened to kill her grandson if the boy’s father, Norris Pascall, did not come up with the ransom money. During the calls, Pascall told Newsday that she requested from the kidnappers that they put Morgansingh on the phone, but they hung up.
Asked how she would have known whether or not her grandson was on the phone, the elderly woman said: “I would have known because he would have responded in a dummy way.” She added that she is not even sure if her son is really kidnapped, or someone playing a trick. AKS officers, too, said while they are investigating the report, they weren’t ruling out the possibility of someone playing a prank. Police said the people who are making the phone calls may have seen the missing person report regarding Morgansingh in the newspapers and decided to call the relatives to see if they could get money. There was a phone number attached to the missing person report which appeared in the last edition of Wednesday’s Newsday. It was reported then that Morgansingh disappeared last Monday while he was at his father’s home at Sawmill Road, Valencia.
At the time, Morgansingh was assisting his father with chores, and around 8.30am that day police said Pascall instructed his son to go to the back of his house, where he was to wait for him near a coal pit. However, when Pascall went in search of Morgansingh, he could not be found. A village search was launched, but it proved futile. At the time of his disappearance, Morgansingh was wearing tall black rubber boots, a beige-coloured pants, an off-white jersey and had a cutlass in his possession.
Yesterday, his mother, Cynthia, appealed to the people who have her son to release him, because she is a poor woman and does not even have $100. She said she is unemployed, while her son’s father is a gardener. Cpls Nesbitt and Tangwok of the Anti Kidnapping Squad (AKS), along with officers of the Valencia Station are continuing investigations. Meantime, the AKS and Carenage police say they have no word yet on the whereabouts of Stanley Dehere who was reportedly snatched in the Carenage area last Thursday for a $75,000 ransom and some illegal drugs.
A 17-year-old boy was killed yesterday in one of two fatal vehicular accidents which occurred between 6.45pm Saturday and 10am yesterday in the Mayaro area.
Three persons suffered injuries as a result. It was reported that around 10am yesterday Candice Boyce, 20, of Thomas Lane, Tunapuna, was driving a grey Toyota hatchback vehicle in company with Jerome Mendoza, 20, and Christopher Creese, both of Sesame Street of Tunapuna. Police said Boyce was driving the vehicle in a northerly direction along the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road, when on reaching the 78 kilometre mile mark at Kernam Junction, lost control and ran off the road on the western side.
The vehicle overturned and the three occupants were rushed to the Sangre Grande Hospital, where Creese was pronounced dead on arrival. Boyce and Mendoza also sustained injuries, which were not considered serious. However, police said they were kept overnight for observation. Cpl Ramdath of the Mayaro Police is continuing investigations. Mayaro police are also investigating the other fatal accident to determine if there was any negligence in that road fatality which claimed the life of unemployed Azim Mohammed, 38, of Pleasantville, San Fernando. Police reports are that around 6.45pm, Mohammed, a pedestrian, was walking along Guayaguayare Road, Mayaro, near the quarter mile mark when he fell on the roadway.
Police said Mohammed was assisted back on the roadway by another pedestrian, Venora Bourne, 16, of St Ann’s Mayaro. While this was happening, police said a vehicle driven south along the Guayaguayare Road by Securicor officer Azan Ali, 36, of St Mary’s Moruga, collided with both pedestrians. Both were rushed to the Mayaro Hospital, where Mohammed died while seeking medical attention. He had sustained injuries to the head and chest. District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Rajpaul pronounced him dead and ordered his body removed to the mortuary for a post mortem. Bourne sustained injuries to both hands and waist and was treated and discharged. Acting Cpl Nisha of the Mayaro Police Station is continuing investigations.
NORTH Eastern Division police were up to late yesterday questioning four people, among them two women, in connection with the chopping death of retired school teacher, Ralphy Ramcharan whose body was found submerged in a river off Black Dirt Trace, Barataria, on March 26.
Three of the four, including one woman, were held in Tobago last Thursday by Homicide officers Insp Broome and acting Cpl Nurse. Officers, under Cpl Francis Vidale, and including acting Cpl Hollis Jacobs and WPC Suzette Martin went to the Sister Isle that day and brought back the trio early yesterday. The three reportedlly fled to Tobago after Ramcharan’s murder. The other woman was picked up on Saturday and the four, ages 18, 20, 22 and 23, from St Joseph, were detained at the Barataria/El Socorro Police Station. Senior police officers told Newsday that they were getting conflicting reports from the foursome, but that charges are likely to be laid soon.
Ramcharan, a retired Mathematics teacher had left his home on March 25 to tutor a student in the Curepe area, according to a female relative. However, Newsday was reliably informed yesterday that when Ramcharan arrived at the student’s home, he was told that the child was tired. As a consequence, police said Ramcharan, a Citizen Alliance candidate in the 2002 general election, went to a bar, where he met the two women.
It is unclear what happened after that, but police suspect he gave some people a ride in his vehicle and later ended up dead in the river, located south of the Maritime Plaza. The 41-year-old man, of Sunflower Drive, Debe, was found on the morning of March 26 by three gardeners who were going to attend to their crops at Black Dirt Trace. Ramcharan’s hands were tied in front of his body and his feet were bound at the knees and ankles. There were several lacerations to his arms and forearms and a large gash to the back of his head. Among other things, police found and seized a wheel spanner at the scene, along with personal documents belonging to the retired teacher. A post mortem performed on March 27 revealed he died as a result of multiple chop wounds. Cpl Vidale of the Barataria CID is continuing investigations.
