INTERNATIONAL Secondary School held its nerve to defeat Tailevu North 4-1 in a penalty shootout after the teams finished locked 1-1 in the under-19 Southern Zones Secondary Schools football playoffs at the Ratu Cakobau park yesterday.
The match remained evenly contested throughout the match, with both sides creating chances before the contest was decided from the penalty spot.
International’s goalkeeper emerged as the hero, producing a crucial save to deny Tailevu North from the spot and leave its opponents with just one successful penalty. International converted four of its spot kicks to seal the victory.
Team manager for International Secondary School Simon Topham praised his players for their determination, especially considering their limited preparation heading into the competition.
“I’m very proud,” Topham said.
“They haven’t really played matches on a full-sized 11-a-side pitch before. It’s one of the first matches they’ve played together as a team, so to come away with a victory is excellent.”
Topham admitted the team’s build-up to the competition had been disrupted by the recent four-week school break.
“It wasn’t ideal because we’ve just had a four-week school break and we’ve only been back at school for one week,” he said.
“They’ve done a lot of training over the last week, but they’ve done really well to come together.
Despite the victory, he said there was still room for improvement.
“They need to build their strength, conditioning and resilience, and continue working together as a team.”
International will now shift its focus to next week’s clash against Vashist Muni College.
International Secondary School players congratulate their goalkeeper after their penalty shoot out against Tailevu North at Ratu Cakobau Park yesterday. Picture: LITIA RITOVA
International Secondary School player Josep Ferrando on attack against Tailevu North Bill Ratabu during their under-19 Southern Zones Secondary Schools football playoffs at the Ratu Cakobau park yesterday. Picture: LITIA RITOVA
