Suriname’s Dimitrie Apai’s got the lone goal as W Connection wasted a number of scoring opportunities before coming away with a slim 1-0 win over Pt Fortin Civic in the feature match of a Digicel T&T Pro League double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Friday night.
The win for W Connection, which came after two straight draws with Morvant Caledonia United (2-2) and Police FC (0-0) at the same venue, lifted its points tally to 40 from 21 matches in second spot, one ahead of Defence Force which came up against fourth placed San Juan Jabloteh (35 pts) at the Barataria Recreation Ground last night (Saturday).
Defending champion Central FC is at the top of the table with 46 points from 20 matches, but is away on Caribbean Football Union Club Championship duties in Jamaica.
On Friday, W Connection finally broke the deadlock five minutes into the second-half when an unmarked Apai at the back post clinically volleyed past goalkeeper Miles Goodman from a left sided cross by St Lucia wing-back Kurt Frederick to net the only goal of the contest.
Earlier on, Goodman did his best to keep Pt Fortin Civic in the match with a number of saves while it seemed the W Connection players also left their scoring boots home as well.
In the 22nd minute, Goodman made his first real save when he denied 15-year-old midfielder Isaiah Hudson his first top flight goal and two minutes later Apai struck wide with the goal at his mercy after Frederick whipped in a perfect cross.
Then a minute from the half-time whistle, 20-year-old Grenadian forward Jamal Charles directed an effort wide of the target, with an open net at his disposal off a centre from captain Alvin Jones.
W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier looked a frustrated man at the half-time whistle, but five minutes into the second-half Apai calmed the nerves of his team-mates with his close range and the Suriname international had a chance to double his tally in the 59th when he collected a ball from a corner kick on his thigh, and tried a cheeky lob over Goodman who smothered the effort.
Goodman was excellent again seconds later when he dived low to his right to push wide a powerful 25-yard free-kick from Jones. W Connection’s poor night in front of goal continued with substitutes, Jomal Williams firing wide in the 76th minute from an Apai feed , and Shahdon Winchester, hit wide in time added.
In the night’s forward Jameel Perry scored one and set up another within a space of three to secure a 2-1 win for Police FC over his former employers Morvant Caledonia United.
The first 45 minutes also failed to produce goal and three minutes after the restart, Perry put the lawmen ahead when he fired low past goalkeeper Marvin Phillip following a lifted pass by Kareem Freitas.
Perry then turned provided in the 51st minute when he squared for Pro League leading scorer Makesi Lewis to hit home and celebrate his call up to the T&T national team for a friendly international away to Grenada on March 19.
Caledonia had an excellent opportunity to reduce the deficit on the hour mark but former Kazakhstan-based defender Robert Primus, who was used as an experimental forward, spilled high overbar from the edge of the six-yard area after lunging to meet a Pernell Schultz cross.
Police goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, who made excellent saves to deny Caledonia substitute Marcus Ambrose and Otev Lawrence in the 64th and 88th minutes, respectively, was unable to preserve his clean sheet due to the pace of Neptune’s strike.
Caledonia finally pulled back a goal through midfielder Jameel Neptune in the first of three minutes stoppage-time, with a blast from the centre of the area, but it was too little to late to deny Police its win which moved the Richard Hood-coached club to 31 points from 21 matches in fifth spot, one behind North East Stars.
Friday’s results
• Police FC 2 (Jameel Perry 48’, Makesi Lewis 51’) vs Morvant Caledonia United 1 (Jameel Neptune 90+1)
• W Connection 1 (Dimitrie Apai 50th) vs Point Fortin Civic 0
Wednesday's match:
• Central FC vs Club Sando, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 6pm.