Queenstown Secondary registered their first win of the event, dismissing Cummings Loge Secondary when the third annual Milo/Petra Organization Secondary Schools u-20 football tourney continued yesterday.
Played at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue, a moment of individual magic would open the scoring for the Queenstown outfit in the 23rd minute as talisman Kelsey Benjamin etched his name on the scorer’s sheet.
Racing into the centre of the penalty area, the wily winger upon latching onto a lobbed pass would flick the ball over the head of the onrushing defender before calmly finishing into the lower left hand corner past the advancing keeper.
It would then become 2-0 in the 31st minute as Shakeil Somner netted under fortuitous circumstances, lashing a 28-yard effort from the left side of the field which was comically parried into the back of the net by the custodian.
The score would continue to balloon as Welinson Meneses scored six minutes later through a header into the left corner from within the six yard area, after a right sided cross evaded the backline of Cummings Lodge.
Benjamin would then seal his double in the 45th minute compliments of a solo run and finish into the lower right hand corner, following one-on-one situation with the keeper after skipping past his marker.
Under the pump for most of the affair, Cummings Lodge would finally get on the score board as Britton Cypriano scored in the 53rd minute, striking his effort into the back of the net after the ball fell fortuitously into his path within the centre of the area unmarked.
However, Cummings Lodge recent conversion would only be a brief respite as Benjamin completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute, placing his left footed effort into the lower right hand corner from within the left side of the box.
The East Coast of Demerara unit would find the back of the net three minutes onward through a Desales Joseph header past the advancing keeper into the middle of the net, after collecting a lobbed ball within the centre of the box.
Vickram Chandranan would then cap off a fine performance for Queenstown in the 69th minute with a powerful right footed strike down the centre of the goal from 23 yards out in the middle of the field. In the second fixture, defending champs Lodge Secondary continued their unbeaten run, downing Central High by a 2-0 score line. Jarel Grannum and Sylvester Richardson netted for the Mandela Avenue side in the eighth and 58th minutes correspondingly.
The third encounter witnessed South Ruimveldt crushing St. Stanislaus College by a 4-0 score line. Kevin McPherson led the way with a double in the 11th and 27th minute.
He was assisted by Shaquille Blair and Dequan Alleyne who netted in the 40th and 70th minutes respectively. In the opening fixture, St. Mary’s Secondary defeated Ascension Secondary via walkover.
Winners of the event will pocket the championship trophy and $500,000 towards the building of any school project while the second, third and fourth placed sides will pocket $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively towards the funding of a school venture and the corresponding accolade.
On the individual side, awards will be given for the event’s most valuable player, highest goal scorer and best goal keeper while four full scholarships to attend Chase Academy free of cost will also be up for grabs.
The action is set to continue today at the same venue with three fixtures. In the opening fixture at 11:00hrs, Dolphin Secondary will faceoff with Houston Secondary whilst Queens College will oppose Mae’s Secondary from 12:30hrs.
In the final matchup, Chase Academy will tackle St. John’s College from 14:00hrs.
