With table-toppers St Anthony’s College on a bye today, two-time defending champions of the Shell/First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League Premier Division, Naparima College, will be one of six teams hoping to go top of the table today from 3.40 pm.
The “Westmoorings Tigers” as St Anthony’s are called, lead the 15-team table with maximum nine points from three matches, the same as Shiva Boys Hindu College and Presentation College of San Fernando, which have both played a match more.
They are followed by the quartet of Naparima College, Fyzabad Secondary, San Juan North Secondary and Trinity College of Moka, all with seven points, but with the title-holders also playing three matches like St Anthony’s.
Shiva Boys, lifted by its 2-0 home win over Trinity College on Wednesday, will be at home to ninth placed St Augustine at the David Williams Recreation Ground, Penal while Presentation College, which pipped Signal Hill 2-1 las time out, entertains cellar-placed East Mucurapo at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.
The Angus Eve-coached Naparima which also won the South Zone and National Coca-Cola Inter-Col crowns last season, and coming off a 3-1 away win over struggling Fatima College led by a hat-trick from Isaiah Lee, the league’s joint top scorer with four goals, journeys North again today to face Trinity College, Moka, Maraval ,in the clash of the day.
Fyzabad, buoyed by its 4-2 win over Pleasantville, with two goals each from Alleric William and Ken Bhola, for three and four goals on the season respectively, also lay away from home today against Signal Hill, which is alone in eighth spot with five points.
San Juan North led by striker Renaldo Boyce (three goals) and coming off a 2-1 home win over East Mucurapo Secondary, heads South to face Pleasantville.
And in the two other matches on schedule, Fatima hosts winless St Benedict’s at Mucurapo Road while Queen’s Royal College and rivals, St Mary’s College, both without a win after four and three into the season respectively, meet at St Mary’s Ground on Serpentine Road, St Clair in an encounter to be shown live on Sportsmax and CEEN.
Some of the SSFL teams could also be boosted by the return of their players from national Under-17 team duties in the ongoing Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Championship in T&T.
The Russell Latapy-coached T&T squad went into last night’s match against Jamaica needing a win to advance to the semifinals after losing to Haiti 2-0 and rebounding to beat Bermuda, 3-2 in their two matches to date.
Among the teams heavily hit due to players on the national U-17 team are St Anthony’s (five players), Naparima (four), San Juan North (two), Presentation (two) and one each from QRC and East Mucurapo.
There are also a number of players away on national Under-20 team duties in Guyana and they are set to return to the country today with St Anthony’s (two), Presentation (two), Naparima (two) and East Mucurapo (one) and Shiva Boys (one), all without key players again.
They will not suit up for their respective schools when they return as they are to continue preparations for the CFU U-20 tournament in Curacao, next month.
Today's Matches
All matches kick off at 3.40 pm
Fatima vs St Benedict’s, Fatima Ground, Mucurapo Road
Signal Hill vs Fyzabad, Signal Hill, Tobago
Pleasantville vs San Juan North, Pleasantville
Trinity College Moka vs Naparima, Moka, Maraval
St Mary’s vs QRC, St Mary’s Ground, Sepentine Road, St Clair
Shiva Boys vs St Augustine, David Williams Recreation Ground, Penal
Presentation (San F’do) vs East Mucurapo, Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre
Latest SSFL Premier Division standing
Teams P W D L F A Pts
1. St Anthony's 3 3 0 0 8 3 9
2. Shiva Boys 4 3 0 1 7 3 9
3. Pres (San F'do) 4 3 0 1 5 4 9
4. Naparima 3 2 1 0 7 4 7
5. Fyzabad Sec 4 2 1 1 9 6 7
6. San Juan North 4 2 1 1 7 6 7
7. Trinity Moka 4 2 1 1 3 3 7
8. Signal Hill 4 1 2 1 4 4 5
9. St Augustine 4 0 3 1 3 4 3
10. Fatima 4 1 0 3 4 6 3
11. P’ville 3 0 2 1 4 6 2
12. St Mary's 4 0 2 2 2 7 2
13. QRC 3 0 2 1 0 1 2
14. St Benedict's 4 0 1 3 0 4 1
15. East Mucurapo 2 0 0 2 2 4 0
