Morvant Caledonia United picked up its first win of the season, via 2-1 win over Japs North East Stars when matches in the Digicel T&T Pro League continued at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, yesterday.
With Defence Force and Central FC losing on Friday night, Stars had a chance to go top of the table, however, Caledonia had other plans with Jamal Harvey netting as early as the second minute and Kyle Bartholomew getting a second in the 25th before national midfielder Keron Cummings pulled a goal back for Stars in the 40th.
With the win, Morvant Caledonia improved to four points from five matches while Stars remained on ten points, one behind Defence Force and Central FC. On Friday night, Police FC and Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh denied Defence Force and defending champions Central FC from taking outright leads at the top with 1-0 shock wins, respectively.
For Police, Makesi Lewis netted his sixth league goal of the season in as many games against Defence Force which ended the first match of a double-header contested at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo with ten men.
The win moved coach Richard Hood’s Lawmen up a spot to now occupy fifth with nine points, just two points away from Defence Force and Central FC. Defence Force, coming off Wednesday’s impressive 5-1 win over Point Fortin Civic, were left ruing a basket of missed chances last night while Police was celebrating full points.
Police’s liveliest player on the night, Christon Thomas, had circled Defence Force defender Marvin Jones before playing in striker Lewis inside the box, who controlled the ball off his right boot before firing beyond goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke and into the back of the net off his left boot with 24 minutes left.
Jones was later ejected by referee Keon Yorke, who initially awarded the defender a yellow card for diving, but then followed up with the red card for dissent, leaving his team to play the remaining six minutes of regulation time with ten men.
However that wasn’t the real disappointment for Defence Force, who had ample opportunity for maximum points. The Marvin Gordon coached-Defence Force were denied by the frame three times within the first eight minutes of play.
Devorn Jorsling missed out on a gift of an opportunity seconds into the match when his right-footed attempt cannoned off the upright running onto a neat Kerry Joseph defence-splitting pass and skipping away from Police goalkeeper Adrian Foncette. Jorsling, who in the 64th minute directed a free-kick onto the upright, also had a seventh minute deflected strike skid off the upright.
Then from the resulting corner swung in by Joseph, a cheeky flick off the outside of Jerwyn Balthazar’s boot at the near post, struck the frame. But it wasn’t only the frame that stood in Defence Force’s way as Foncette made three saves in the second-half, denying Dave Long, Jorsling and Joseph to keep a clean sheet before team-mate Lewis’ winner.
Central FC then failed to capitalise on Defence Force’s loss by suffering a similar 1-0 loss which left the door open for previous leaders North East Stars to regain top spot, which it failed to do yesterday.
Former Central FC winger Tyrone Charles, who rattled the upright from a 30-yard free-kick seven minutes into the match, scored the winner in the 66th minute to earn Jabloteh full points over the Couva Sharks.
Charles, unleashed by a long ball forward from Fabien Reid, showed good speed, strength and determination when he outmuscled defender Kaydion Gabriel to slip the ball beyond goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams and into the net from just inside the area for his seventh goal in all competitions this season.
Surely, the win was a boost in ego for Jabloteh coach Keith Jeffrey, who last month, referred to Central the “old Jabloteh” due to the fact that their roster boasts quite a number of former Jabloteh players.
Central, without veteran creative midfielder Marvin Oliver, failed to create much tempo, while Jabloteh seemed well-drilled when it came to swamping their area defensively with green shirts whenever the Couva Sharks attacked.
Central, coached by Ross Russell, conjured a few late attempts—twice from Plaza and once from substitute Darren Mitchell—but other than Plaza’s half-volley strike in the 82nd minute, none troubled Jabloteh goalie Shemel Louison, who also did well to put behind a left-footed strike from Marcus Joseph four minutes from the break.
In yesterday’s early match at at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Jamille Boatswain scored a goal in each half to lead Pt Fortin Civic to a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Club Sando.
Last night, recent First Citizens Cup and Toyota Classic winners, DirecTV W Connection faced St Ann’s Rangers at Couva.
Results
Yesterday
Morvant Caledonia United 2 (Jamal Harvey 2nd, Kyle Barthomolew 25th) vs North East Stars 1 (Keron Cummings 40th)
Pt Fortin Civic 3 (Jamille Boastwain 25th, 62nd, Andrei Pacheco 58th) vs Club Sando 1 (Kevon Woodley)
Friday
Police FC 1 (Makesi Lewis 70th) vs Defence Force 0
San Juan Jabloteh 0 (Tyrone Charles 66’) vs Central FC 0