‘Keeper blunder cost Naps ‘Big 5’

A SHOCKING goalkeeping blunder by Naparima’s goalkeeper Leston Shade proved costly as “Green Machine” St Augustine earned their first British Gas Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) “Big 5” title since 1989. After yesterday’s final at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, St Augustine lifted the title by virtue of a 3-1 scoreline, in front of a vocal crowd estimated at 5,000. With Naparima well on their way to their second ever “Big 5” (their lone success was in 1999) courtesy of a 1-0 lead, national Under-20 striker Shane Calderon outmuscled substitute Sherrick Hillaire for a loose ball in the 54th and shot his low 25-metre right-footer goalbound. Even though the ground was soft due to a drizzle earlier on, there seemed no way that Shade would muff the chance but he did, as the ball embarrassingly went through his hands, and his legs, and into the back of the net. That equalising goal spurred the Green Machine to life, and another defensive lapse by Naparima in the 61st turned the tide firmly in the hosts’ favour.

Defender Stephen Pierre met a right-side corner by captain Matthew Ramirez and saw his header cleared off the line by the Naps defence. But nobody picked out a lurking John Stewart who slotted the loose ball home. Shade was later tested three times —  in the 63rd he was forced to tip a shot by substitute Kevon Hall overbar, in the 67th a long-range freekick by Joel Williams was parried onto the crossbar and in the 78th his acrobatic dive thwarted an airborne header by Shastri Spencer. Spencer, the national Under-17 playmaker with a bright future, sealed victory for St Augustine in the 84th. Sent clear by strike partner Calderon, he thundered his right-footer beyond the reach of Shade. Quick to the ball and aggressive in intent, Naps held the upper hand in the first half, and deservedly took the lead in the 21st when striker Kern Robinson headed home from a Dezi Lara corner. Lara’s twin Kezi controlled the tempo in the midfield while the Gustine defence had problems dealing with their opponets attacks, until the 54th minute.

Teams —
ST AUGUSTINE: Nigel Parris; Joel Williams, Jesse Martinez, Stephen Pierre; Elton John, Marlon Whitehall (Kevon Hall 37th), Devon Maxwell (Aaron Peters 78th) Matthew Ramirez (capt), John Stewart; Shastri Spencer, Shane Calderon.
NAPARIMA: Leston Shade; Dezi Lara (capt), Kevin De Verteuil, Renato Ramlochan, Deverne Wallace; Javed Mohammed, Kern Peters, Keron Garib (Adisa Connell 75th), Kezi Lara; Andrew Bailey (Sherrick Hillaire 53rd), Kern Robinson (Terrance London 86th).