A new champion will be crowned in the Region One zone of the Digicel schools football championships after Hosororo eliminated defending champs North West Secondary 5-4 on penalty kicks, after the game ended scoreless in regulation time.
Goalkeeper Kelon Seecharan sealed his team’s berth to the final at the Mabaruma Community ground in front of a large viewership, denying final kicker Owen Charles by tipping the attempt over the crossbar.
Hosororo hadearlier converted each of their spotkicks in what was a rematch of last year’s final. Travis Innis, Leroy Mendonca, Shawn Hercules, Seecharan and Rowdell Joseph scored for the visitors.
For the losing home side, the quartet of Elovis Calistro, Donald Lynch, Zendor Thomas and Kyle December were on target. Hosororo will now face-off with the winner of the Santa Rosa and Matthews Ridge semi-final contest which took place yesterday.
It was anything but a classic, with few chances recorded in a cagey affair played at a venue often dubbed ‘the Jungle’. Innis recorded the only noteworthy moment of the lacklustre first half, blasting a 30-yard free kick from the centre of the field, just over the top left corner.
In the second period, Hercules almost broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, latching onto a loose ball inside the centre of the box, before lashing his right foot effort goal bound, only to see his attempt parried by the final defender.
On the other end, Sherdon Henry should have given the hosts the lead in the 63rd minute, racing into the left side of the box to be in a one on one situation with the goalkeeper, only to dribble the ball out of the playing area.
In the earlier fixture, Hosororo edged Wauna Secondary 1-0 compliments of a Shawn Hercules strike in the 29th minute. Meanwhile, Buxton Youth Developers defeated Friendship 4-1 at the National Track and Field Centre,Leonora.
The championship which is scheduled to conclude on July 31st, will feature more than 120 schools from each of the 10 administrative regions, competing in an elimination format.
Chase Academy is the defending champion, with Christianburg/Wismar the most successful school with four consecutive titles (2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015) in six successive final appearances.
The other winner of the tourney was GTI in the inaugural edition (2011). Victor of the event will receive $1,000,000 towards a school project and a trophy.
The second, third and fourth place finishers will collect $700,000, $400,000 and $350,000 towards a school initiative and the respective accolade.
