Chase Academy became only the second Georgetown team to qualify for the finale of the Digicel Secondary School Championships, downing Annai Secondary in their semi-final encounter 3-1 yesterday at the Leonora Sports Facility.
In front of a packed venue, Ryan Hackett and Jaleel Hamilton led the way for the winners with solo efforts in the 39th and 85th minutes while an own goal in the 44th minute complemented the outcome. On target in the loss was Garville Daniels in the 33rd minute.
Due to the victory, Chase Academy joined Government Technical Institute (GTI) as the second team to qualify for the final from Georgetown.
They will now faceoff with three time-defending champs Christianburg/Wismar Secondary in the grand finale on Sunday at the National Stadium in Providence, after the latter crushed perennial bridesmaid Waramadong Secondary in the other semi-final.
Utilizing a high press defensive posture, Chase Academy surrendered the early lead in the 33rd minute as Daniels scored, placing his shot into the lower left hand corner from within the box, after collecting fast throw in on the left side.
The goal only seemed to wake up the Georgetown giant who responded in emphatic manner in the form of Hackett.
Racing into the centre of the box to latch onto a perfectly-placed through pass from Kelsey Benjamin, the wily Hackett placed his shot into the lower right hand corner while under pressure from his marker, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Georgetown unit then took the lead on the stroke of half time in a fortuitous manner as a flat left sided Hackett cross, was inadvertently deflected into the lower left hand corner by the defender.
Chase Academy’s second goal seemed to knock the wind out of the Annai sails as the second half interval became a dull affair, struggling to register consistent attacking plays against the physical Georgetown unit.
The result eventually was sealed five minute before the fixture’s conclusion as Hamilton found the back of the net, clinically placing his effort unchallenged into the lower left corner from within the area, after pouncing on a poor defensive clearance just outside the box.
