West Ruimveldt, St Pius to clash in thrilling final

Pee Wee Under 11 Football Tournament

2017 champions West Ruimveldt Primary will have the chance to truly defend their championship next weekend when they meet with an equally skilled St. Pius Primary in the Pee Wee under 11 final.
The two teams stamped their dominance and billed their spot in the highly anticipated final, after overcoming their opponents in two exciting semi-final matches on Saturday afternoon.
The first of two semi-finals saw St. Pius Primary being pitted against Tucville Primary in a riveting encounter. St. Pius’ run in the competition thus far has been squeaky clean, on the other hand, Tucville have been seen as the underdogs after overcoming front runners. As such, the semi-final pairing made for a nail biting forty minutes. Tucville’s defense went to work almost immediately after the commencement of the match up, as Kaden Wellington wasted no time in making his intentions known. However, Tucville’s twin sensation Emmanuel and Samuel Tinch had similar thoughts in mind as they attacked from the jump. The match up was tense for most of the regulated time as both teams sought to fortify their defense, not allowing anything to slip inside. As such, the first half ended with no goals and a handful of missed opportunities.
With fresh determination in the second, both teams resumed their advances to the goal, but the majority of the half passed with neither being successful. St. Pius’ top striker Kaden Wellington was not having such a good day but despite this his equally dangerous teammate Jamal Fraser came through with a goal in the 39th minute. That goal would become the decider of the match, as the remaining time was too little for Tucville to muster a reply.
The second semi-final game featured 2017’s winners West Ruimveldt Primary and Mocha Arcadia in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats. As soon as the first whistle blew, little Jiheam Lewis was off weaving his way through the opponent’s defense on his way to the goal, there it was just himself and the goalkeeper in a battle that he won, registering Mocha’s first goal. The East Bank team was all smiles as they managed to uphold the advantage until the end of the second half.
However, the defending champions were not going to go down without a fight as they returned with newfound grit. West Ruimveldt played a much better half, controlling the ball possession. West Ruimveldt’s resilience seemed to frustrate their opponents, resulting in a goal opportunity which Mark Phillips took and executed well. With the scores levelled and time expiring, the encounter became even more intense as they rolled into extra time. West Ruimveldt’s captain Jonathan Andries was the one to break the ice and the deadlock as he netted a goal in the 42nd minute for West Ruimveldt’s impending win.
Prior to the final next Saturday, Mocha Arcadia and Tucville primary will battle for third place. The remaining teams in the competition will also be playing earlier in the day for positions 5-16. The matches will be played at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue.