South Ruimveldt Secondary edged tournament favourites Tucville Secondary 4-2 on penalties in a pulsating semi-final fixture to book their spot in the final of the Milo U-20 school football tournament on Wednesday.
Played in front of the largest mass to date, and deadlocked on four goals each at the end of regulation and extra time, proceedings got underway with Tucville taking the early point through a brilliantly executed Kevin Andrews free kick in the sixth minute from a distance of 20 yards; leaving the diving south custodian with simply no chance.
South’s early concession would kick-start a back and forth tussle as the game began to take on an open nature. South Ruimveldt would eventually equalize in the 20th minute compliments of a defensive miscommunication between the Tucville goalkeeper and centre half, with Jermin Beckles flicking the ball over the stranded Tucville shot stopper into the empty net.
Trading blows akin to a boxing match and with no love lost or inch given, Tucville would once again take the lead, this time through a defensive indiscretion by the South unit, as a wayward pass by the South goalkeeper was intercepted by Tucville’s Ryan Blackman who calmly passed to the unmarked Dorwin Filter, who slotted the ball home on the cusp of halftime. South would once again draw level when a Steffon Eno free kick 30 yards from the goal nestled neatly into the back of the net in the 56th minute and they took the lead for the first time as a Colin Peters strike within the 18-yard area evaded the diving hand of the Tucville custodian.
Tucville would restore parity in the 73rd minute compliments of a Ryan Blackman finish and regained the lead as a beautifully worked counter attack by Filter and Keifer Brandt came to fruition in the 84th minute, with Brandt playing an expertly weighted through-pass which was latched on to by Filter who exquisitely chipped the stranded south shot stopper.
Not to be outdone, and continuing the back and forth trend of the evening, South would once again find the timely equalizer through a Keith Caines penalty kick in the 86th minute after a Tucville player was adjudged to have handled the ball in the 18-yard box.
The ensuing penalty was clinically converted by Caines who sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
In the opening fixture of the day, St George’s Secondary put in a dogged and determined display as they came from behind to edge Carmel Secondary 2-1 to book their spot in the final, shackling the tournament’s top scorer Marlon Nedd in the process.
Leading their gritty performance was the duo of Azuma Small and Jameel Wilson who scored in the 56th and 70th minutes respectively, while Moses Gritten gave Carmel the early lead in the 11th minute.
The matches were played at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue. Action continues today at the same venue, with the grand finale between South Ruimveldt Secondary and St George’s Secondary in the feature contest while Tucville Secondary will oppose Carmel Secondary in the third place play-off.
