The weather may have been hot and humid on Sunday, but the competition between St. Joseph Convent Port-of-Spain and Malick Secondary was even more heated as the Convent girls emerged as victors in their opening tourney for the Secondary Schools Girls Football Championship League.
"A game against St. Joseph Convent and Malick is always competitive," said St. Joseph Convent coach Winston D. Philip after the game from his team's home grounds in St. Clair. But he maintained that his girls had the better game and deserved the win.
From the first 10 minutes of the game, the game plan for the Malick outfit was clear: Pass the ball to last stopper and playmaker Rickesha Telemac and let English-style football take its course!
Telemac, one of the more experienced players on the team, did her job superbly, sending long balls straight to the feet of the nippy strikers, eliminating her less-experienced midfield, who barely touched the ball in the first half.
While this strategy created some chances for the Malick girls, it didn't intimidate the Convent girls, who made light weight of their opponent's master plan.
The quick and agile Convent strikers took advantage of Malick's weak defence, whose only saving grace once again was Telemac, who tired momentarily, leaving gaps open for opportunistic but unlucky shots.
One slipped into the nets, though, in the 23rd minute via a Maya Matouk item. The 13-year-old Matouk picked up the ball on the left flank, dribbled down the sideline, drifted toward the inside and kicked toward the far post, catching the Malick goalkeeper out of position.
With this awakening opener, the temperature gauge rose even higher, not with the sun's rays but with the intensity with which the Malick girls played the parched field in their search for an equalizer.
In the 33rd minute, one of Telemac's precise deliveries reached the boots of Nathifa Faustin, and a bad bounce and fumble of feet by the St. Joseph Convent defenders cost them a goal through goalkeeper Cherrise Littrean's well-guarded nets.
The eager but sparse crowd set the pace for the second half as both teams fought for supremacy. Parents and patrons begged their favourite players to break the stalemate as both teams reinstated battle. In the initial quarter of the second half, Malick upped their attack, increasing their scoring chances with Faustin getting two one-on-ones with Littrean, but both attempts went wide.
But the Convent girls were consistent, maintaining their grit, though they seemed more affected by the hot Sunday weather. In the 70th minute, it was a Matouk melee once more as the explosive midfielder picked up the ball on the left side, beat the Malick right back, cutting in on the inside to hit a rocket to the net, leaving the Malick goalkeeper dumbfounded on the ground.
This goal was clearly the showstopper for the game, as the spectators cheered loudly in appreciation for what was not only the game-winner but a magnificent strike in the history of Girls' Intercol.
One avid supporter and National Under-23 player, Kaydion "Drogba" Gabriel, voiced his amazement: "It was a beauty of a goal. I was here supporting Malick, my old school, but I had to admit that the strike was a roofer of roofers. That type of goal calls for a flip, but I guess the sun was too hot for that today," he said.
As the St. Joseph Convent Girls prepare for their second game for the Tournament against Maple Leaf on Thursday, skipper Kara De Souza is confident that her charges will put out another good performance. "Today was a tough game, especially with the hot conditions. Our stamina wasn't the best, but we pulled through with our best effort. I am confident we will upkeep our winning streak in our next game against Maple Leaf," she declared.
Football Slang of the Game:
Roofer: a volley shot which hits the top corner of the nets with the intensity and speed of a rocket taking off!
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