Andre Toussaint scored two well taken goals to steer two-time winners and current Cup holders VIBE CT W Connection to a 4-0 win over Defence Force in the semifinals of the First Citizens Bank Cup Tournament.
The results means that W Connection have reached the final for a fifth straight year. In the final to be played on Friday, the “Savonetta Boys” will come up against arch-rival CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh.
It will be the second meeting in a final this season for both clubs, with Jabloteh having already edging W Connection 1-0 in the Pro Bowl final on a Kerry Noray strike afew months ago.
Jabloteh blanked United Petrotrin 2-0 in the first match of Friday’s semifinal double-header played at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
Heading into Friday’s quarterfinal, Jabloteh coach by Englishman Terry Fenwick said his players would not be taken the ”Oilmen” lightly and would play the match like it was a final.
However his team did not showed the urgency needed but they created a few chances. However, it was two errors in the Petrotrin defence that made the goals for Whitley and Baptiste.
From early in the contest, it looked as though Jabloteh would be in for a horrid match, when midfielder Trent Noel, muffed a left footed chance inside the 18-yard-box.
At the other end, Jabloteh got a scare when former employee Jerol Forbes headed wide of goalkeeper Duarance Williams and the target, from a right sided cross in the 12th minute.
Forbes continued to probe the lethargic looking Jabloteh defence marshalled by Ian Gray and Keyeno Thomas. However, the work-load was too much for Forbes alone to bear against the experienced defensive duo.
Whitley had his first chance at goal in the 32nd minute when he was picked out by a Josh Johnson right sided cross, but his volleyed attempt bounced into the turf and wide of the right post.
Four minutes before the half-time whistle, the lively Trent Noel won the ball in Petrotrin’s half of the field, and made a pass to Whitley.
Confronted by defender Al Sinclair, Whitley made space for himself before bending the ball in a “David Beckham” like fashion into the far corner of the net to give Jabloteh a 1-0 lead from out-side the 18-yard-box.
Petrotrin had a right to feel hard-done by the goal, and just before the interval they fell further behind when another defensive blunder saw Jabloteh extended its lead.
Lee Haynes failed to stop a through ball, which fell to Whitley, who back-heel it to to an onrushing Baptiste, who kept his calm before he fired a shot under goalkeeper Perry Martin for a 2-0 lead.
On the resumption, Petrotrin, who defeated Caledonia AIA/Fire to book its semifinal place, lift the standard of their play with the introduction of Andre Charles and Kennedy Hinkson, which pushed Jabloteh on the defensive.
Hinkson came close to scoring when he beat Jabloteh goalkeeper Duarance Williams with a low left footed effort that missed its first post target in the 64th minute and Charles saw his scorching volley ricochet of the right post and back into play in the 77th minute.
It was the closest Petrotrin came, as Jabloteh held on and booked their place in the title match in an attempt to add the 2005 title to their 1999, 2000 & 2003 Cup triumphs, and the lucrative first prize of $35,000.
The clash between W Connection, the 2002 tournament winner and last year’s beaten finalist Defence Force, turned out to be a one-sided match.
Defence Force did not help its own cause as they allowed, W Connection too much space to play.
Andre Toussaint was the first to score when he capitalised on a poor back-pass in the sixth minute from Addison Belfon and curled a left footed shot past Army custodian Cleon John.
Twelve minutes later, Toussaint chased down a through ball from Gefferson Goulart on the left flank, eluded Defence Force captain Kelshall Alexander before he drilled a powerful left footed blast past John, who was covering the first post.
W Connection sealed the match with quick counter-attacking move with Seabra, who fed Earl Jean a pass on top the penalty-area. Jean dummied the ball for Goulart, who kicked the ball into the bottom corner of the goal in the 61st minute.
The fourth goal was almost identical, with Brazilian left back William De Silva Olliviera surging into his opponents half, before laying off to Goulart, who teed up fellow Brazilian Ronaldo Viana to hit pass John, six minutes from full-time.
Anton Joseph was unlucky to pick a straight red-card from referee Neil Brizan, with seconds left in the match. The final at the same venue will kick off at 8.30pm and will be preceded by the third place match from 6.15.
Friday’s FCB Cup Semifinal results:
SAN JUAN JABLOTEH 2 (Aurtis Whitley 41st, Kerry Baptiste 45th) vs UNITED PETROTRIN 0.
W CONNECTION 4 (Andre Toussaint 6th, 18th, Gefferson Goulart 61st, Ronaldo Viana 84th) vs DEFENCE FORCE 0.