Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) and Harlem Strikers advanced to the semifinals of the 2023/24 Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League (TTFPL) tier two competition after getting contrasting wins over Guaya United and San Fernando Giants on the weekend.
On June 15, the Parkites of QPCC turned many heads at UTT, O'Meara when they got a hammering 10-0 win over Guaya in their playoff encounter to book a spot in the semis. With their opponents starting the game with just nine players, the QPCC team took full advantage as they gave their southern counterparts a harsh and unforgiving football lesson.
QPCC assumed a 3-0 lead by the halfway stage, but it was in the second half where they did their heavy damage to hit double figures. Jemaul Ashing, who captained Arima North Secondary in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) in 2023, began the rout in the 12th minute. Former TT international midfielder Sean De Silva continues to show his durability in tier two, and both he and lanky striker Jaden McKree bagged braces for QPCC.
Jason Devenish also got in on the act for QPCC with his goal in the 86th minute, but it was winger Christian Bailey who stole the show with a hat-trick. The former Fatima College skipper and ex-national under-20 player scored his team's third goal in the 29th minute, with his other two goals coming in the latter stages of the game as he ended the riot in the 88th minute.
After the demolition act against Guaya, coach Wayne Sheppard and the Parkites will now tackle Defence Force, who finished second during the tier two league campaign.
In the other playoff match on June 16, Harlem did their heavy lifting in the second half as they blanked San Fernando Giants by a 3-0 margin at Frederick Settlement, Caroni. Juron Francis gave Harlem the lead in the 51st minute, with Ross Dowden adding the second item in the 87th minute.
Harlem put the icing on the cake in the dying embers of the game when Ishmael Sawyer rounded off the scoring in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage-time.
Harlem will play MIC Matura ReUnited in the other semifinal. Matura finished the league atop the 15-team table and they'll hope to replicate that form when they tackle Harlem.
The semis will be played on either June 22 or 23 at venues still-to-be-confirmed.
Last season's tier two winners, 1976 FC Phoenix, placed sixth in their maiden season in the TTPFL tier one this season.
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