Former two-time winners Santa Rosa and North West Secondary will face off in the semi-finals of the Region #1 zone after defeating Hosororo and Waramuri Secondary respectively when the Digicel Secondary Schools football championships continued yesterday.
Witnessed by a largest gathering to date at the Kumaka Ground in Moruca, the home side overcame Hosororo 6-2 while North West downed Waramuri Secondary by a 1-0 margin. They will now faceoff for a final’s berth at the same locale on Wednesday from 16:00hrs.
Despite being reduced to 10 men with the sending off of Diwane Solomon in the 27th minute for a reckless challenge, Hosororo would stun the partisan crowd in the 34th minute, taking the lead under soggy conditions as Marlon Rodrigues scored.
Awaiting a right sided corner kick within the centre of the box, Rodrigues would volley his effort into the ground and the ball inadvertently bounced over the hands of the goalkeeper and into the goal as Hosororo took the lead at half time in the reduced 80-minute affair.
Nonetheless it would be a game of two halves as Lexter Fredericks scored two minutes upon resumption, sending the crowd into a frenzy with a placed effort into the lower right corner following a one-on-one situation, after a left sided cross evaded the backline and fell into his onrushing path within the centre of the box.
The large home support would be given another reason to celebrate as Deon Gomes gave Santa Rosa the lead in the 44th minute, lashing his effort from the right side of the box down the centre of the net.
It would then go from bad to worse for the visitors as they were reduced to nine men with custodian Kelon Seecharan being sent off in the 49th minute, denying the onrushing forward an obvious goal scoring opportunity with a reckless tackle within the box.
Stepping up to take the spot-kick was Hyde Williams who buried his effort into the lower left hand corner with his right boot, igniting further cheers from large viewership.
Fredericks would then complete his double in the 53rd minute as the score ballooned to 4-1, blasting his attempt into the roof of the left corner after a left sided cross went through the hands of the makeshift keeper and into his path.
Brandon Atkinson would then get into the scoring act four minutes later for the home side, finishing into the empty net from the left side of the area, after the goalkeeper deflected an initial attempt into his path following a one-on-one situation.
Hosororo would eventually pull one back despite their numerical handicap in the 60th minute as Jermin Cedino scored from the penalty mark following a handball infringement within the area.
Nevertheless, the home side would complete the rout in the 69th minute as Jacqua Ferreira scored, curling his effort from the left side of the box past the custodian into the centre of the net.
In the other match a moment of individual brilliance in the 13th minute by Travis Inniss earned North West Secondary a hard fought win over Waramuri Secondary.
Receiving a poor goal-kick 23 yards out in the centre of the field, the lanky forward would unleash a powerful right footed effort that rifled into the top left hand corner, giving the goalkeeper simply no chance.
The action continues today at the same venue with defending champs Port Kaituma Secondary against Kamwata Secondary from 16:00hrs.
