Stewartville Secondary downed Zeeburg Secondary by a 2-1 score line when the 6th annual Digicel Secondary Schools Football Championship continued yesterday at the Leonora Sports Facility.
Guilty of wasting countless opportunities, Stewartville finally broke the deadlock in the 31st minute of the 70th encounter as Christopher Nelson scored.
Racing down the left side from just over the halfway line, the pint size defender upon cutting into the penalty box, rifled his right-foot shot into the lower-left corner.
Shane Martin doubled Stewartville’s lead in the 48th minute, unleashing a powerful left-foot strike from outside the centre of the penalty box which settled into the lower right-hand corner.
Zeeburg Secondary eventually pulled one back in the 49th minute as Kevin Bhaichandeen netted, pouncing on a loose ball following an initial challenge from the advancing goalkeeper inside the left of the box, before curling a right-footed effort into the empty net.
Despite surrendering an unlikely goal, Stewartville saw out the remaining minutes to book their berth in the next round.
In the other results, Wakapoa Secondary downed Eight of May Secondary 3-1 at the Anna Regina Multilateral ground. Similarly, Aurora Secondary downed Johanna Cecilia 3-1 at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) ground.
Meanwhile, the Berbice High School edged Manchester Secondary 3-2 at the Burnham Park ground. At the Beterverwagting (BV) ground, Annandale Secondary crushed Bladen Hall 5-2.
Over at the Mahaicony ground, Rosignol United squeaked past Fort Wellington by a 2-1 margin. Action in the event is slated to continue today from 15:30hrs at several venues.
The championship which is being played in the traditional knockout format, will be staged in every region and will conclude on July 31st at the National Stadium in Providence.
Christianburg/Wismar Secondary has held a stranglehold on the event as they are current four- time defending champions. The other victor of the most prestigious event in the country was the Government Technical Institute who won the inaugural event.
Winner of the event is slated to receive $1,000,000 toward the funding off a school project and the Championship trophy while the second-place unit will receive $700,000 and the runners-up accolade.
The third and fourth-placed unit will walk away with $400,000 and $350,000 and the corresponding trophy. Similarly, $100,000 will be awarded to each zone winner.
