Issue: December 2008
By Nikolai J. Nunes '02
Saints Football Season 2008 arrived with lofty, yet critical expectations. It concluded the initial three year period with former Tottenham Hotspurs Youth Coach Jason Edwards: his first season ended in relegation; the second with the North Zone Intercol trophy. Two thousand and eight was thus to be a crucial litmus test of his stewardship.
Coach Edwards methods should herald a revolutionary point in high school football: Gone were the days of eighteen and nineteen year-old Upper Six footballers that formed the First Team; thus accounting for the cyclical nature in Intercol football domination of the nineties as explained by former coach Hayden Martin. A complete overhaul of football at St. Mary’s College was launched with Coach Edwards’s arrival. The gaffer brought with him an emphasis on youth development and the average age of his first season squad was fifteen years. The end result was relegation and many were tempted to blame this on his policies. However, the naysayers did not see the numerous friendlies against senior and professional opposition where, despite the size disadvantage the Saints never lacked the necessary skill in holding their own and providing a challenge. The belief, mental strength and tenacity of the North Zone Champions were forged during such trials by fire.
Season 2007 saw Captain Lakhan-Joseph lift the first piece of silverware for Saints football in many years. One could see the transformation that had taken place; The boys’ brimmed with confidence, even when they fell behind, there was always the belief that they could turn it around, and often they did! More importantly, they never gave up, never stopped trying until the final whistle. If a never say die attitude and improved team spirit was all that was gleaned by the Saints players, then on that point alone the investment in acquiring Coach Edwards’ services yielded quality dividends.
Season 2008 began with the loss of former National Under-17 playmaker Sean de Silva (university) and the promotion of midfield maestro Leston Paul to the Under 20 team. Dedicated centre half, Nicholas Walker who also received a call up to the National Under 20 team along with all other national players were barred from representing their high schools due to their commitments with the National side. Their understudy, Chad Apoo would have been a starting playmaker on any other team if not for those national players and Coach Edwards had no doubts about him filling the massive gap left by the departure and unavailability of our star creative midfielders. He had big boots to fill, and fill them he did; his intelligent playmaking and slick touches were at the heart of many offensive moves while he also weighed in with the odd vital goal. Additionally, he was given the team’s dead-ball responsibilities and threatened from his corners and free kicks.
Talismanic Captain Veer Lakhan Joseph improves with every season both as a footballer and a leader and this season he was his best yet, top scoring with 10 goals, two behind the score charts leader. Wing wizard Renaldo Garcia takes after his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo with his speed and trickery and such ability yielded a few goals in addition to memorable moments. Savion Kirton, a wingback last season, was transformed into a predatory finisher upfront. David Malony was both an irresistible force and immovable object at the heart of the defense. Steven Bishop is perhaps the most passionate footballer to come through the College ranks in years and the defensive midfielder never feared lunging into a full blooded tackle as he protected his back four with little care for himself. The injury to goalkeeping hero Matthew Jardim saw the emergence of young Rasheed ‘Birdie’ Belgrave in between the uprights assuring our quality in that position for years to come.
The Saints kicked off their season in the league at home to the St. Anthony’s ‘Westmoorings Tigers’ and their 2-0 lead was wasted as the Tigers clawed back two goals to leave Serpentine Road with a draw. Such would be symptomatic of the Saints’ league season as four opposition teams managed to dredge out draws against the Saints despite trailing by as much as two goals. Ultimately that would prove the Saints undoing, in addition to a scoreless draw against the eventually relegated team Malick, albeit away, responsible for as many as 10 dropped points which would have given the Saints the North League title instead of their 4th place finish. It is the one weakness that the Saints have not yet eliminated from their game. While it is near impossible to play a flawlessly fluent game of football for ninety minutes, the Saints were ruthlessly punished for just about any defensive blunder when they lost their shape and composure even momentarily, thus leading to opposition goals. In hindsight I found it cruelly unfortunate, but such is the nature of the beautiful game. There were also two abominations during the league campaign: a 3:0 thumping at the Fatima grounds in the derby, and a disastrous 4:1 defeat to the Royalians at Serpentine Road. However, revenge was a dish best served in the Intercol when the Saints emerged victorious in their opening fixture in a thrilling Intercol Classic between the two oldest and most prestigious Boy’s Colleges.
The North Zone Intercol Champions however, despite a defiant and gutsy display fell short of defending their Intercol trophy against eventual winners Mucurapo.
The opener against archrivals Queen’s Royal College has everything one expects from an Intercol Classic; Goals galore, red cards, fanatic supporters clashing...absolutely glorious!
Enforcer Steven Bishop was operating with typical aplomb in his ‘Makelele role’, when he caught everyone by surprise, ending a forward push from his defensive covering position with a blockbuster that ricocheted off the upright. Savion Kirton reacted with the instincts of a goal poacher, redirecting the ball into the back of the net from inside the area. Just to prove it was no fluke, he demonstrated his Van Nistelrooy-like finishing instincts again when Lakhan-Joseph squared the ball into the 6 yard box after a trademark surging run down the right channel. Kirton timed his lunge to perfection and buried it from point blank range. Leading 2-0, the St. Mary’s defensive curse again struck and QRC was back in the game with the scores level. By this time, the Royalians uncharacteristically had begun to resort to unsporting behavior with wild challenges that went unpunished by the referee, scything down several CIC players. With the tension levels high, some good work from winger Renaldo Garcia earned the Saints a corner deep into stoppage time. Chad Apoo swung over a corner that Christian Briggs met with a looping header. The QRC goalie got a hand to it, but could not keep the ball from crossing the line and the Saints’ goal celebration was drowned out by the noise of delirious St. Mary’s supporters. At this point however, tempers frayed resulting in the dismissal of two QRC players.
At this juncture I must make mention of some of the problems plaguing secondary school football. Not for the first time the poor quality of the refereeing and administration of the SSFL was called into question, as our players left the field battered and bruised. Even worse, the North Zone Semi-Final between St. Mary’s and Mucurapo was played at the home ground of Mucurapo instead of the neutral territory of the National Stadium.
The Saints faced league winners and eventual quadruple winners (Big 5, Zonal and National Intercol champions) Mucurapo in the North Zone Semi-Finals. The Saints were one of only two teams to defeat Mucurapo in 2008. However, it was always going to be difficult. Mucurapo was fresh off hammering eight unanswered goals past the newly promoted Woodbrook Secondary and playing at home, while half of the St. Mary’s defense was crocked. Steven Bishop moved to centre half while Tyrell Grant was handed his first start at right back. Not the ideal situation to face Mucurapo’s star left midfielder Mutah Taylor. The makeshift defense was given no quarter as Mucurapo from kick-off demonstrated their intent; unsettling a CIC defense understandably struggling to find their footing against unrelenting attacking tactics. After a tentative start the debutant Grant began to compose himself with a couple of timely and purposeful tackling interceptions that signaled to Taylor that he should not expect his left sided sorties to go unchallenged. However, Taylor needed only one gap in the defense to cause a serious problem and he exploited the one he found perfection. As the back line was pulled out of position, he surged through the centre and unleashed what would be a contender for goal of the season. Even Petr Cech would not have had a chance with Taylor’s screamer and Birdie could only follow the trajectory of the ball into the back of the net past his full length stretch. Then, disaster struck! Tyrell Grant pulled up with a hamstring injury just as Taylor got going, and in the space of two minutes he and Peltier had scored identical goals from the left channel as Grant succumbed to his injury before being substituted.
With the Saints 3-0 at the half, it looked grim to the supporters. However, Coach Edwards is not unlike Sir Alex Ferguson with his ‘hair dryer’ treatment and the Saints returned reshuffled in the second half with unambiguous instructions: Give it your all, and then give it some more! There was an immediate improvement as the Saints turned the tide and gained ball possession, but most importantly they began to use it constructively as they went on the offensive. The attacking verve of Lakhan Joseph inspired his counterpart Garcia on the opposite flank and together they began to stretch Mucurapo. As he did against QRC, Veer again led from the front, picking himself up after each tackle to have another go at the left back. Persistence paid off as he got in behind the wing back with another swashbuckling run and put in a cross that Kirton converted gleefully in the 54th minute. The Saints raised the tempo even more and in the 89th minute it was Renaldo Garcia who turned a defender and crossed to Chad Apoo who smashed the ball into back of the net. Alas, time ran out, a single goal away from the parity that would have forced the game into extra time.
As they defiantly closed the season with the theme of never surrendering, the Saints can reflect on further improvement and an even clearer idea of the weaknesses they need to overcome that will establish them as the annual title contenders. It is a reputation that the St. Mary’s College footballers of yesteryear proudly carried and that tradition is being espoused again in the twenty-first century!