Central FC boosted its chances of retaining the Digicel T&T Pro League crown with a 3-0 win over ten-man Morvant Caledonia United at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Tuesday night to go four points clear at the top.
The win by the Dale Saunders-coached unit, which ended a two-game losing streak in the league pushed its points tally to 49 from 23 matches, four clear of new second placed team Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh (45 points) which eked out a 1-0 win over W Connection (42 points).
Fifth placed Japs North East Stars (40) also dented the hopes of struggling Defence Force (42) with a 1-0 win as well in their meeting.
In the feature match of the Mucurapo double-header, Central FC coming off a 4-2 loss to bitter rival W Connection in last Friday’s Lucozade Sport Goal Shield as well, was determined to ditch their recent form.
However, It wasn’t until Morvant Caledonia, Sunday’s finalist against W Connection in the title game Goal Shield, was reduced to ten men early in the second half, that the “Couva Sharks” proved superior to their opponents with Marcus Joseph, Darren Mitchell and substitute Nicholas Dillon getting a goal each.
After holding its own in a 0-0 first-half, Morvant Caledonia was reduced to ten men inside the first two minutes of the second-half when defender Ranaldo Bailey was cautioned for a second time in the match, this time for a tackle on Joseph near the side line.
Joseph later put Central in front 1-0 with his 14th league goal this season when he beat goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in the 66 minutes after a couple exchanges with Jason Marcano opened up the Morvant Caledonia defence.
Ricardo John then failed to double Central FC’s lead by guiding the ball overbar off his thigh from a goal-mouth scramble in the 72nd minute, but eight minutes later Mitchell blasted into the far corner and in the 87th minute, substitute Dillon added a third via a powerful header past Phillip after fellow substitute Kadeem Corbin, flicked on a Kevon Villaroel cross.
The surprise team this season, Jabloteh kept up its challenge for a top-two finish to secure a Concacaf Champions League qualifying spot, after it got an 86th-minute winner from Tyrone Charles to be W Connection at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
In the first match at Mucurapo, Stars’ coach Ross Russell led his team to a sixth straight with a victory over his former employers, Defence Force courtesy a first half strike from in-form forward Kerry Baptiste.
Baptiste, the second leading all-time scorer in the Pro League’s history behind Defence Force’s Devorn Jorsling beat goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke from close up with a half volley, after the “Teteron Men” back-line failed to clear on a free-kick sent into the area.
The goal was the eighth from six matches for Baptiste since returning to the Stars in the January/February transfer window.
It was a tough night for Defence Force as it dominated the second-half but goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel, stood unbeatable between the sticks for the Stars.
A former Youth World Cup goalkeeper, Samuel, another transfer window signing by North East Stars, was magnificent as he twice denied Russell’s son Russell Russell Jr, and Jerwyn Balthazar to preserve his side slim lead all the way to the end.
Tuesday’s results:
Police FC 5 (Kareem Freitas 18th, Makesi Lewis 36th, 58th, Keon Wilson 45th, Dylon King 90th) vs Club Sando 3 (Devon Modeste 33rd’, 48th, Shaquille Holder 46th)
San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Tyrone Charles 86th) vs W Connection 0
Central FC 3 (Marcus Joseph 66th, Darren Mitchell 80th, Nicholas Dillon 87th) vs Morvant Caledonia United 0
North East Stars 1 (Kerry Baptiste 45’+) vs Defence Force 0