Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Digicel Nationwide Schools Football Competition…Annai deny hosts St. Ignatius for another year
– move on to play Paramakatoi on July 10
By Rawle Welch in Region 9
It was another year of disappointment for hosts St. Ignatius who saw their ambitions to dethrone defending champions Annai quickly evaporate through two goals of class and alertness during their regional final encounter in this year’s Digicel Nationwide Schools Football Competition on Monday at the St. Ignatius Sports Club ground in Region 9.
Captain of reigning champions Annai Garville Daniels receives the winning trophy from Digicel Representative Madella Mohabir in the presence of fellow staffer Seon Chapman and teammates on Monday.
Playing before a capacity crowd, mixed with supporters of both teams, Annai’s Captain Garville Daniels silenced the home fans and caused an eruption of celebration among his team’s followers when he raced on to a throw in from the right side of the field, outsprinted three desperate defenders to execute a magnificent left-footed shot that sailed over the advancing goalkeeper’s head and into the back of the net after fourteen entertaining minutes of play.
After that both teams continued to treat the fans with some exquisite passing and threatening buildups, but apart from the earlier lapse by the St. Ignatius goalkeeper, no other alarms came.
However, in a perfect duplication of the preceding goal, the Annai forwards were able to once again exploit the flippant attitude of the opposing goalkeeper, who was repeatedly seen way off his line, a fatal mistake he had made that accounted for Annai’s opening goal.
This time it would come from the opposite side of the pitch when the nippy Naron Williams, who had skipped past his marker on the left-flank raised his head momentarily to see the opposition’s goalie once again way off his line and he fired a left-footer that glided over the scrambling goalkeeper’s head and into the goal at the far post. The goal came in the thirty-third minute of play and once again the Annai supporters who were seated to the right side of the pavilion
Part of the action in this year’s Region 9 final that featured champions Annai (in black uniforms) and hosts St. Ignatius on Monday at the St. Ignatius Sports Club ground.
went wild in celebration.
The score-line remained unchanged for the extent of the first half as Annai went to the break with a 2-0 advantage.
Coming out in the final period, St. Ignatius forwards the in-form Brandon Parks, Gary James and Orlando Francis were getting deep into the Annai goal area, but poor finishing put paid to their efforts.
They won at least two free kicks in threatening areas, but errant shooting relieved the pressure from the opposition goalkeeper as their fans urged them on.
All the while, they were making several substitutions to exert more pressure on their arch rivals, while also searching for more potency up front.
Parks reached on to a corner and headed inches outside the left upright, while another raid ended with the ball crashing on to the crossbar, before rebounding into play to be cleared from danger.
A few more opportunities came, but the Annai defence stood up manfully to the task and when the final whistle sounded to the disappointment of the home fans it meant that Annai, just as they had done last year, again denied St. Ignatius the regional title and more importantly a chance to progress further into the competition.
Annai now move on to play Paramakatoi on July 10 in Madhia.
Among the officials present at the two games were Digicel representatives Seon Chapman and Madella Mohabir and Regional Co-ordinator Megan Thomas.
Digicel’s Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope paid a brief visit and witnessed the first game between St. Ignatius and Sand Creek which the latter lost 7-0.
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