Naparima and Fatima Colleges shared the points in a 2-2 tie when a battle between two heavyweights in the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership Division took place at Fatima Ground, Mucurapo Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday afternoon.
Nerves dominated the early moments as both Fatima–considered to have one of the better development programmes in the SSFL–and Naparima, the triple crown winners from 2025, struggled to find their rhythm.
Angus Eve’s Naparima charges from the southland opted for a patient build-up, but were forced onto the back foot when a cheering crowd at the Mucurapo facility lifted the home team’s confidence. A diagonal ball sent Jahaem Bailey galloping down the left side; he unselfishly released it to the unmarked Tyler Edwards, who drove it hard and low past the outstretched arms of Naparima goalkeeper Mikhail Clement in the 27th minute.
The Fatima advantage did not come as a surprise, but it placed Eve’s men in a spot of bother, forcing them to show their mettle after losing some ten players from the previous season.
Three minutes before the halftime interval, Naparima striker Adasa Richardson gave his team hope when he connected with a snapshot right at the edge of the Fatima goal area. However, goalkeeper Jadon Pollard tipped it over the crossbar to preserve the scoreline.
Eve’s halftime talk inspired his team, leading to the equaliser early in the second half. From a looping cross from the left side, Naps’ Arron Raymond rose high to head home in the 48th minute.
However, their celebration was almost cut short two minutes later. Bailey gathered the ball near the top of the Naparima goal area and unleashed a thunderous left-footed shot in the 50th minute, but Clement somehow kept it out.
Bailey, the league’s leading goalscorer with seven goals up to yesterday, took the lead role for his team, but fortune did not favour him in the 60th minute when he was the target of another right-sided cross. Bailey did everything right, but despite the open goal in front of him, he failed to hit the target.
The defending champion, coming off a 1-0 loss to Signal Hill last week, then pushed ahead for the first time in the 68th minute. Goalkeeper Pollard and his defenders failed to clear a right-sided cross by Raymond, allowing Jabari Rodriguez to stab it home after two attempts for a 2-1 advantage.
Jiary Nanton could have levelled the score soon after. He displayed great ball control under pressure from two defenders when played in, managing to turn goalward only to lift his shot over the crossbar in the 70th minute.
Fatima would not be denied, though. In the 75th minute, Jonathan Mason skillfully lifted the ball into the Naps defensive area for the nippy Nanton to ease through and poke the ball between the open legs of the goalkeeper for the equaliser.
Both teams pressed for a winner late on, but neither could capitalise, leaving them to share the points.
Yesterday’s results
Fatima College 2 (Tyler Edwards 27th, Jiary Nanton 75th) vs Naparima College 2 (Arron Raymond 48th, Jabari Rodriguez 68th)
St Anthony’s College 2 vs St Benedict’s College 4( Orande Parris 3, Elijah David)
St Augustine Secondary 5 vs San Juan North 3 (Gabriel Britto 1, Akil Britto 2)
Hillview College 4 vs Mucurapo West 1
Malick Sec 0 vs Signal Hill 4 (Kyle James, J’meke Watson 2, Kisean Grant)
Speyside Sec 2 vs St Mary’s 7 (Javan Joseph 2, Jalen Hislop 2, Jaydon Thomas, Erin Mc Leod, Jaylon Roberts)
Trinity College East 2 vs Arima North 3
Trinity College Moka 4 vs Queen’s Royal College 0
Latest standings
Teams P W D L GF GA GD PTS
1. Arima North*4*4*0*0*19*5*14*12
2. St Mary’s *4*4*0*014*2*12*12
3. Hillview *4*3*0*1*18*10*8*9
4. St Benedict’s*4*3*0*1*10*3*7*9
5. Signal Hill*4*3*0*1*10*3*7*9
6. Speyside*5*2*1*2*7*16*-9*7
7. Fatima*4*1*2*1*11*11*0*5
8 Naparima*3*1*1*1*10*4*6*4
9. Presentation*3*1*1*1*4*5*-1*4
10. Malick*4*1*0*3*7*11*-4*3
11. San Juan North*4*1*0*3*6*11*-5*3
12. Trinity Moka*4*2*0*2*8*13*-5*6
13. Trinity East*4*1*0*3*6*12*-6*3
14. QRC*4*0*2*2*1*6*-5*2
15. Mucurapo West *4*0*2*2*4*10*-6*2
16. St Augustine*3*1*1*1*7*8*-1*4
17. St Anthony’s*4*0*0*4*4*15*-11*0
