Defending Region Number Nine champs Annai Secondary School laboured into the zone final of the Digicel Schools Football Championships, squeaking past Sand Creek Secondary 2-1 yesterday at the St. Ignatius Sports Club ground.
It was not a vintage performance from the holders but second half goals from Nairon Williams and Clinton Phillips in the 56th and 82nd minute respectively sealed the hard-fought contest.
For the losing team, Bronson Andrew scored in the 74th minute. Annai will now lock horns with hosts St. Ignatius in the final at the same venue today.
Although the defending champs dominated the exchanges witnessed by a large crowd, they were guilty of wasting several chances, with the main culprits being Orvil Daniels and Sherral Daniels.
Of the 14 chances recorded in the half for Annai, none were on target, with the best chance falling to Daniels who flashed his effort over the crossbar while being in a one-on-one situation with the custodian in the seventh minute.
Though they didn’t threaten frequently, Sand Creek posed a danger on the counterattack due to the profligacy of their foe, which played into their hands as halftime arrived and no one ahead on the scorer’s sheet.
Eventually Annai made good on their monopolization of possession as Williams scored 11 minutes into the second period, blasting a powerful shot with the outside of his boot from the top of the box, into the top right corner.
Annai should have doubled their lead in the 72nd minute but Daniels was denied in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper inside the centre of the box, while fighting off the challenge of his marker.
The miss came back haunt the champs as Andrew equalised, directing his header into the centre of the net, after a right side cross was misjudged by the goalkeeper and fell into the forward’s path.
The goal triggered a back and forth affair as both teams sought the go-ahead winning goal.
In the end it was the champions that crafted the winning goal as Phillips directed his header from the right side of the box into the right corner after a left side corner-kick evaded the goalkeeper and the backline and found him at the far post.
The championship which will be played in the traditional knockout format, will be staged in every region and will end on July 31st at the National Stadium in Providence.
Christianburg/Wismar Secondary has held a stranglehold on the event as they are current four-time defending champions. The other victor of the most prestigious event in the country was Georgetown Technical Institute who won the inaugural event.
