Bosco, Stanislaus clinch titles

MUMBAI, FEB 16: Despite eight goals scored in two lopsided finals, it was a goalkeeper who stole hearts on the concluding day of the MSSA...

MUMBAI, FEB 16: Despite eight goals scored in two lopsided finals, it was a goalkeeper who stole hearts on the concluding day of the MSSA-Colgate Inter-school hockey tournament at St Stanislaus School today.

For 30 minutes in the boys under-12 final, Jayesh Virkar of St Joseph8217;s Malad guarded his citadel gamely, warding off the Stanislaus marauders, as if he were the last of the Lancelots. His team-mates repeatedly acknowledged his efforts with 8220;well-done-mate8221; thumps on the back. A defensive lapse, a deflection off a defender8217;s stick opened the floodgates in the 33rd minute, and all the brave Jayesh could do was bawl his heart out. Stanislaus read the moment well, and pumped in two more goals to return deserving 3-0 winners of the Walter D8217;Souza Trophy. That was the expected script. After all, Joseph8217;s, rookies in schools8217; hockey finals, were up against a formidable Stanislaus forward line Shane Vanshipley and Sheehan D8217;Costa, and half Floyd Dharmai. Hadn8217;t the boys given a commendable account ofthemselves, as the Stanislaus under-14 B side two months ago ?

Joseph8217;s coach Avitus D8217;Cruz said, 8220;The boys have done well, given that the school does not even have a turf. The boys practise on a municipal ground, though the practice matches with different schools at their grounds did help.8221;

Earlier, Don Bosco Matunga retained the Oliver Andrade Trophy with an emphatic 4-1 win over Stanislaus B in the boys under-10 final. The scoreline flattered Stanislaus, the Bosco boys having missed over half-a-dozen attempts. Bosco8217;s strategy was simple: Feed forwards with long, powerful hits, and let Harmeet Singh and Hormuz Bana to do the rest.

The strategy worked, as the Stanislaus defence found it difficult to block these long-rangers. Harmeet Singh admirable selflessness when, in the eighth minute, he passed to left-out Hormuz Bana in a two-on-one situation to make it 1-0. Harmeet missed four sitters before the whistle, the last of them, on the stroke of half-time, saved well by custodian JoelFernandes.

The Hormuz-Harmeet combo conjured the second and third goals, in similar fashion, in the 26th and 31st minutes; Hormuz crossed from the left, and Harmeet deflected them in. Harmeet was proving such a threat that Stanislaus were forced to assign Ansel D8217;Souza to shadow him.

Stanislaus narrowed the margin when Daniel Martin scored off a long corner in the 38th minute, but Bosco wrapped up the match in style with their fourth of a penalty corner: Hormuz served a dummy, Mutthana trapped and passed to Rutunjay Singh on right, who scored.

Results

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Boys under-10 final: Don Bosco 4 Harmeet Singh 2, Hormuz Bana, Rutunjay Singh bt Stanislaus B 1 Daniel Martin; 3rd place: Stanislaus A w/o St Blaise, Amboli. Boys under-12 final: Stanislaus A 3 Shane Vanshipley 2, Floyd Dharmai bt Joseph8217;s, Malad; 3rd place: Don Bosco 4 Nilesh Negi 2, Cornelius Fernandes, Siddharth Pandey bt Our Lady of Remedy 0.