Newcomers St. Joseph’s High came from a goal down to upset former champs St. George’s High 2-1 when the when the round of 16 stage in the third annual Milo/Petra Organization Secondary Schools u-20 football concluded yesterday.
The inaugural tourney winners took the initial lead in the 44th minute as Orin Moore scored compliments of a curling left footed effort from the right side of the field, which nestled into the top right hand corner of the net. Not be deterred, the Woolford Avenue unit would level the score line in the 72nd minute as Dwight Ferguson scored, lashing his flat strike into the lower right corner from within the centre of the box, after outmuscling his marker to latch onto a lobbed pass.
Pandemonium would then break out on the field among the St. Joseph players as Lemar Williams netted the go-ahead winner two minutes later, directing his header over the advancing keeper down the middle of the goal from within the centre of the box, after latching onto a left sided cross from Ferguson.
With the win, the unlikely victors will now lock horns with tourney heavyweights Morgan Learning Centre who trounced Queens College by a 5-1 score line in the opening fixture. Ronaldo Dover led the way with a double in the 49th and 51st minutes.
He was assisted by Keron Solomon, Wayne Murray and Randy Layne who netted in the seventh, 57th and 62nd minutes correspondingly. On target in the loss was Lloyd Anderson in the 41st minute.
Chase Academy sealed their berth in the quarterfinal section in clinical fashion, brushing aside Richard Ishmael 6-0 score line.
Kareem Knights started the goal rush in the 12th minute with a left sided free kick from 22 yards out that took a marginal deflection, before wrong footing the goalkeeper and settling into the right hand corner.
Isaiah Reddy would then make it 2-0 17th minutes onward with a header into the empty from within the six yard box, after the keeper raced off his goal-line in an attempt to thwart a loose ball which resulted in a right sided cross.
Reddy would continue his goal scoring exploits in the 30th minute, finishing his effort into the lower right hand corner from within the left side of the area to complete his double
Marlon Nedd would then get into the goal-scoring act in the 35th minute through a first time placed strike from the top of the box into the lower right hand corner, after latching onto a left sided pass. He would then seal his double 14 minutes onward, placing his shot into the lower left hand corner after skipping past his marker within the right side of the penalty box. Reddy would then complete the score line as he fired in two more goals in the 51st and 58th minutes to seal a deserved helmet trick.
Due to the win, Chase Academy will setup a quarterfinal showdown with Queenstown Secondary who blanked East Ruimveldt by a 3-0 score line in the second match of the day.
Kelsey Benjamin, Wellinson DeSantos and Cordell Charles scored for Queenstown in the 34th, 43rd and 78th minutes respectively.
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 other quarterfinal matchups include North Ruimveldt opposing Dolphin Secondary and defending champs Lodge Secondary facing off with St. Mary’s Secondary
