REIGNING Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division winners Fatima College (ten points) moved to the top of the 2024 standings on September 23 when they got a narrow 1-0 win over St Augustine Secondary at the latter’s compound in St Augustine.
In a rescheduled game which Fatima head coach Huston Charles described as scrappy, Fatima got the lone goal of the contest in the 15th minute when attacker Luke Correia scored from close range to finish off a tantalising run from 2023 SSFL Player of the Year Michael Chaves.
For Correia, it’s a third goal in the young premier division season, to go along with his opening goal in Fatima’s National Gas Company (NGC) Super Cup win over Presentation College (San Fernando) on September 6.
The 13th-placed St Augustine team, which opened their 2024 premier division account with a 1-0 win against north zone intercol holders St Anthony’s College on September 21, ended the game with ten men as Simon Kirk received his marching orders and a second yellow card in the 83rd minute for a tackle which was deemed reckless by referee Keilon Bacchus.
Ahead of the season, Fatima manager Stephen Bison told Newsday his team intends to take all four titles on offer this season – the NGC Super Cup, premier division, north zone and national intercol crowns.
Four games into the league season and with wins over Presentation and the promoted pair of Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School and St Augustine, Fatima are off to a solid start.
Charles said it wasn’t the most memorable display from his team, and he expects the north zone giants to receive another stern test when they host the ninth-placed San Juan North Secondary (six points) at their Mucurapo Road home on September 25.
Last season, despite going down to ten men for the latter part of their clash away to San Juan in Bourg Mulatresse, Fatima got a stunning 5-2 victory to stun the east zone powerhouse.
And after seeing off the challenge of the “Green Machine,” Charles will hope his team can quell the threat of another east team.
With a +11 goal differential, Fatima top the 16-team table ahead of 2022 premier division champions St Benedict’s College who have ten points and a +4 goal differential. Arima North Secondary and Malick Secondary are third and fourth with eight points apiece.
SSFL premier division standings
Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts
1.Fatima*4*3*1*0*12*1*11*10
2St Benedict's*4*3*1*0*6*2*4*10
3.Arima North*4*2*2*0*9*2*7*8
4.Malick*4*2*2*0*10*6*4*8
5.Naparima*4*2*1*1*6*4*2*7
6.Signal Hill*4*2*1*1*10*10*0*7
7.Presentation (San Fernando)*3*2*0*1*8*3*5*6
8.St Anthony's College*4*2*0*2*9*5*4*6
9.San Juan North*4*2*0*2*7*6*1*6
10.St Mary's College*4*1*1*2*5*12*-7*4
11.Trinity East*4*1*0*3*7*9*-2*3
12.QRC*4*1*0*3*5*7*-2*3
13.St Augustine*3*1*0*2*1*6*-5*3
14.Miracle Ministries PHS*4*1*0*3*2*16*-14*3
15.Speyside*3*0*1*2*5*8*-3*1
16.East Mucurapo*3*0*0*3*1*6*-5*0
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