HASELY CRAWFORD STADIUM, Port of Spain – Kareem Joseph scored two minutes from time to lift 10-man Caledonia AIA 1-0 over cross-town rivals San Juan Jabloteh on a night that provided more red cards than goals.
All following a stinger from Caledonia substitute Keyon Edwards which was blocked out by defender Keino Goodridge, Jabloteh goalkeeper Shane Mattis blocked out the follow-up crack at goal from another substitute Nical Stephens, but from the rebound right-fullback Joseph whipped back in the ball and the Jamaican goalie could only manage some glove as the ball floated into the back of his net.
The win propelled the Morvant/Laventille three spots up the 2013/2014 Digicel Pro League standings into third with 17 points, joining Point Fortin Civic and North East Stars on the same tally.
One point ahead of them are second positioned Police, who held a star-studded fifth positioned Central FC to a goalless draw in the first match of the Round Two Match Day Five double header.
And 14 points ahead of the pack are unbeaten leaders DIRECTV W Connection (32 points), who will visit the Mahaica Oval from 3.30 pm on Saturday against home side Point Fortin Civic in a highly anticipated clash.
Connection last registered a 2-0 win over the Stars, while Point Fortin, in their last outing, played to a goalless stalemate against Central at the Mahaica Oval.
Central meanwhile picked up its fourth consecutive draw on Friday although boasting the likes of mid-season signings Sean de Silva, Willis Plaza, Leston Paul, Ataulla Guerra, Samuel Delice and Yohance Marshall in the starting line-up which included goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, Jamal Jack, Elton John, Jason Marcano and Rundell Winchester.
Debutant de Silva looked pretty ok from attacking midfield, hitting wide of the net in the 2nd minute, and from two of his free kicks later on; Winchester volleyed inches high of goalkeeper Adrian Foncette’s crossbar in the 31st minute, and defender jack header over in the 45th minute.
Then just before the halftime whistle both Police and Central were reduced to 10 men. Police midfielder Trent Noel was the first to be shown the red card out referee Keon Yorke’s pocket, after the former Trinidad and Tobago international aggressively pulled the match official to protest of a foul on winger Joel Lewis.
Noel’s argument was that Guerra, already booked by the official, had elbowed Lewis, and after consulting his assistant, Yorke popped up again to flash the red card to the Central midfielder.
Central head coach Terry Fenwick made a swap at the start of the second half, replacing de Silva with fleet-footed Johan Peltier, and later threw in Dwight Quintero at the expense of Winchester.
Peltier curled an effort wide of the far upper corner in the 75th minute, then adjusted his scope moments later with another curling effort but was blocked out by Foncette. The rebound was struck wide by Plaza, who also missed the target just seven minutes into the match.
Police head coach Richard Hood, who led the “Lawmen” to a 4-1 win over the “Central Sharks” in Round One would surely think that his opponents were the lucky ones.
Jameel Perry’s header in the 55th minute crashed off the crossbar after meeting a cross from the right by his brother Kareem ten minutes inside the second period. Then in the 67th minute, Jameel acting on a quick release from midfield, side-stepped defender Marshall outside the area before curling an effort wide of Williams’ far upright.
And seconds after replacing Lewis in the 68th minute, Elijah Belgrave’s laser didn’t miss Williams’ far upright by much.
The “Lawmen” opened another gap and in the 72nd minute, but Central defender John was fortunate after taking down Jameel a few yards outside the area. Midfielder Kenaz Williams was ambitious from distance in the 87th minute, but didn’t win Hood’s side maximum points, after hitting wide of the upper corner.
Instead it was Joseph’s late strike in the 88th minute in the second contest of the night that ended a three-match winless transported by Caledonia.
In a match of few chances, Caledonia lost its instrumental midfielder Densill Theobald to a direct red card in the 66th minute for what referee Gyasi Mc Donald deemed an elbowing to the face of Jabloteh substitute Neil Mitchell. A few minutes earlier, Caledonia striker Jamal Gay was carried away by ambulance for a suspected broken nose, after a collision in the Jabloteh area.
Gay had one of Caledonia’s two efforts of the first half, forcing a tip behind by Mattis, and the other was a volleyed effort onto the base of the upright by debutant Jameel Neptune, who met Nathan Lewis’s deep cross at the back post.
Jabloteh meanwhile, with head coach Keith Jeffrey pacing the technical area, only had two real chances, which came from none other than forward Kerry Baptiste.
Baptiste drove an early effort wide of Graham’s far post in the 61st minute after meeting a Jevon Morris pass inside the right of the area, and seven minutes later his glancing header off Bradley Welch’s cross failed to trouble the Jamaican goalie.
Welch later won himself a yellow card in stoppage time for a reckless sliding challenge on Graham.
Digicel Pro League 2013/2014 Round Two Match Day Five Friday’s Results
Police FC 0 – 0 Central FC
San Juan Jabloteh 0 – 1 Caledonia AIA
Kareem Joseph 88’
Saturday’s Fixture
Point Fortin Civic vs W Connection—3.30 pm, Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin
Teams
Police FC—18. Adrian Foncette, 21. Todd Ryan (C), 2. Jasimar Ashers, 39. Joel Kevin Lewis (20. Elijah Belgrave 68th), 10. Trent Noel (Red Card), 19. Christon Thomas (Yellow Card) (27. Clevon Mc Fee 68th), 17. Dexter Alleyne, 5. Anton Hutchinson, 6. Kenaz Williams, 11. Kareem Perry, 15. Jameel Perry (8. Akiba Peters 79th)
Unused substitutes—34. Keston Mata (GK), 1. Errol Charles, 12. Vernell Ramirez, 25. Kemron Purcell
Coach—Richard Hood
Central FC— 21. Jan-Michael Williams, 45. Ataullah Guerra (C) (Yellow + Red Card), 2. Elton John, 6. Leston Paul, 4. Sean de Silva (13. Yohan Peltier 46th), 12. Jamal Jack, 17. Rundell Winchester (9. Dwight Quintero 68th), 7. Jason Marcano (Yellow Card), 27. Samuel Delice, 50. Yohance Marshall, 1. Willis Plaza
Unused substitutes—25. Javon Sample (GK), 11. Darren Mitchell, 15. Kaydion Gabriel, 22. Keon Trim, 24. Akeem Benjamin
Coach— Terry Fenwick
Teams
San Juan Jabloteh—30. Shane Mattis, 10. Kerry Baptiste (C) (23. Marcus Joseph 81st), 6. Dario Holmes, 24. Kareem Smith (26. Keino Goodridge 42nd), 12. Jamal Spencer, 20. Dwane James, 9. Jelani Felix, 8. Bradley Welch (Yellow Card), 18. Jevon Morris, 7. Rennie Britto (21. Neil Mitchell 13th), 14. Shaquille Bertrand
Unused substitutes—16. Nyron Jones (GK), 15. Micah Lewis, 4. Jean-Luc Rochford, 5. Mudassa Howe, 19. Dillon Kirton
Coach—Keith Jeffrey
Caledonia AIA—34. Kevin Graham, 7. Stephan David (C), 3. Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, 2. Aubrey David, 12. Kareem Joseph (Yellow Card), 18. Denron Frederick (19. Nical Stephens 78th), 20. Noel Williams, 21. Densill Theobald, 23. Jamal Gay, 22. Jameel Neptune (10. Ralph Lundy 46th), 23. Jamal Gay (9. Keyon Edwards 62nd), 27. Nathan Lewis
Unused substitutes—4. Raymond Alleyne, 6. Marcus Ambrose, 13. Julian Wade, 33. Jesse Peters (GK)
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz