It took 32 kicks from the penalty spot to crown this year’s Coca-Cola East Zone Intercol champions as Arima North edged San Juan North Secondary 15-14 to lift the coveted title.
Both teams played to a 0-0 result at the end of regulation time and had to take 16 shots each from the penalty spot, to derive a winner.
In the end, a title-winning save from Arima North goalkeeper Isaiah Diaz kept San Juan North’s kicker Kent Guy from forcing another round of kicks. His timely save gave the home team a nervy but well-deserved victory over the defending champions.
This was Arima North’s second East Zone Intercol title.
Both school teams had a tough time trying to break the deadlock in the opening half, and heavy showers in the second posed additional challenges for the players along the slippery Larry Gomes Stadium surface in Arima.
[caption id="attachment_1046419" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Arima North Secondary golakeeper Isaiah Diaz punches away the ball during the final of the Coca-Cola East Zone competition against San Juan North Secondary, on Tuesday, at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar. - Roger Jacob[/caption]
Despite San Juan North being favourites, and dominating the opening minutes courtesy Lindell Sween and E. Rogers, Arima showed fight and also threatened on the counter.
Goalkeepers Diaz and Xavion Haynes might have kept the ball out of their nets for 90 minutes, but they were both kept busy throughout, as both teams chased the opening goal.
For Arima, strikers Tyrell Stapleton and winger Jeremy Ashing kept pressing the former champions.
After the first 30 minutes, the heavens opened as both defensive backlines tried to close out attacks.
Into the second period, the Arima and San Juan squads cancelled each other out, and despite them trying to counter on each play, both keepers stood firm, while the soggy outfield also forced unwanted errors.
Arima’s Darion Marfan had a good chance for Arima in the dying minutes but he scuppered his opportunity. Similarly, San Juan’s Sween could have bagged the winner in the 91st but he also faltered in front goal.
With the match heading to penalty kicks, both teams scored their first ten shots and then missed their first sudden death kicks. They shot nine more times each, scoring all. Ashing then scored again to make it 15-14, before Guy’s shot was saved by Diaz, to hand Arima the trophy.
Zonal Intercol finals continue on Wednesday with Speyside High up against Signal Hill Secondary at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago, from 5.15pm.
On Thursday, the North Zone final kicks off with St Anthony’s College versus Queen’s Royal College at Hasely Crawford Stadium from 4.15pm. And on Saturday, at Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin, Presentation College meet zonal rivals St Benedict’s College in the South final, from 4.15pm.
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