Hosororo dismiss Charity to set up clash against defending champs

Digicel Schools Football Championships

The Hosororo Secondary School team, led by goals from Shawn Hercules and Shem Ramacindo in the 23rd and 63rd minutes respectively, sent hosts Charity crashing out of this year’s Digicel Schools Football Championships.
Playing in the national playoffs on Sunday at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground, the visitors controlled the game from the start, used their physical and technical superiority to their advantage of the Charity boys and coast to a comfortable 2-0 win that would land them a quarter-final matchup against defending champions Chase’s Academy, today at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Hosororo goal scorers Shem Ramacindo (left) and Shawn Hercules pose for a photo op following their win over Charity

After a balanced start, which saw both teams sharing possession of the ball, Charity was the first to adjust to the atmosphere and looked the more likely to score. However, as the game went on, the visitors grew in confidence, and utilized their physicality to dispossess the smaller Charity players.
The skilful Terry Mendonca, one of the smaller size Hosororo players, was a continual threat to the Charity defenders, often thrilling fans with his skill and speed; while the duo of Hercules and Ramacindo added efficiency to the attack and made things detrimental for the opposition.
Hercules entered the score sheet first when he finished an attack that started on the left flank, his effort beating the goalkeeper at the near post. Despite their dominance in the air, and in spite of several threatening incursions, Charity, who had beaten Hosororo in a previous encounter on their home soil a few years ago, managed to contain the score to 1-0 going into the halftime break.
Hosororo, led by Mendonca, continued their relentless attack on their opponents, displaying pace and skill; and it took a combination of brilliant goalkeeping and luck to keep the visitors from adding to their lead.
It seemed certain that, in just a matter of time, Hosororo would increase their advantage; and it came following a thunderous right-foot screamer that flew off the crossbar. Ramacindo leaped high in the air to meet the rebound, and send it back with a fierce header over the keeper’s extended hands into the goal.
Even after making several changes, Charity could not get a goal — a weak shot from the pint-sized Stephon Clarke and another feeble effort from Ariel Chester being the closest they got at threatening the opposing goalkeeper.
The Championship continues today with matches at various venues.
At Burnham Park in New Amsterdam, Vryman’s Erven Secondary hosts Annai, while at the Beterverwagting ground, Region 10 champs Christianburg /Wismar tackles Buxton Youth Developers. At Leonora, Waramadong battles Sir Leon’s Lessons.
All matches will commence at 15:30hrs.