Tigers, Royalians in North Intercol decider

THE “Westmoorings Tigers” St Anthony’s and QRC will clash on Friday in the final of the North Zone RBTT Intercol division.

At the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo yesterday, the Tigers needed kicks from the penalty spot to defeat a combative Fatima outfit 5-4 while the Royalians staged a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Mucurapo. Before the fans could re-settle after the Tigers-Fatima drama, Mucurapo went two goals up, with captain Jelani Herbert weaving past two defenders and slotting the ball past goalkeeper Thorne Holder after five minutes and, in the seventh, a Richard Roy drive rebounded off Marvin James and trickled into the back of the net. However the Royalians stormed back to narrow the lead in the 19th, with Jason Devenish sending goalie Anthony Alleyne the wrong way with his penalty after Aldo Hope was brought down by Renrick Thomas. QRC pressed forward for the equaliser, which they got in the 41st through a thunderous 35-metre freekick from Michael Awai, atoning for a 15th minute effort which crashed off the upright.

Devenish put the Royalians in front in the 52nd, against sending Alleyne the wrong way from the penalty spot after Hope was fouled by Thomas. Herbert levelled the scoring minutes later, but Hope got the equaliser in the dying minutes, lobbing the advancing Alleyne, to give the Royalians the win. In the day’s earlier match, 90 minutes of full-time and 20 minutes of sudden death could not separate both the Tigers and Fatima, who entered the penalty shootout locked at 1-1 following goals from Fatima’s midfielder Josimar Belgrave in the 36th and St Anthony’s striker Abiola Sandy in the 50th. After the mandatory five kicks the teams were still tied, this time at four apiece, with Clevon George, Julius James, Sandy and Kevon Neaves scoring for the Tigers while Belgrave, Stephen Williams, Kedan Crosby and Machel James netted for Fatima. In the sudden death phase, St Anthony’s defender Yohance Marshall converted his penalty, leaving James to score to keep the match alive. But, with pressure mounting, James shot his tame kick straight at goalkeeper Keegan Davidson, to put the Tigers into the final.

St Anthony’s controlled proceedings early in their clash, with Sandy directing his volley wide off the mark after 10 minutes while fellow striker Neaves sent his header straight to goalkeeper Declan Squires in the 34th. But, against the run of play, Fatima took the lead two minutes later. After Troy Thompson skied an attempted clearance from a Shawn Lewis freekick, Belgrave latched on to the loose ball and rifled his 25-metre shot past Davidson. That setback spurred the Tigers into action, and they got a deserved equaliser five minutes into the second half. Winger Christian Cabral evaded the challenge from James on the right and sent a low cross which was directed into the back of the net by the lurking Sandy. Sandy could have put St Anthony’s in front two minutes later on a counter-attack but, under pressure from an advancing Squires, he smashed his shot against the crossbar. Both teams tried their best to snatch the winner under pouring rain, but penalties will have the last say, as well as the experience of the Tigers.