League leaders Defence Force and second positioned Caledonia AIA registered important wins on Tuesday night in Round Three Match Day Four of the Digicel Pro League Championship, keeping steady chase on the 2012-2013 title.
Defence Force had to muscle off an admirable performance by Police FC to grab a 2-0 win in the first match of a double header at the Ato Boldon Stadium with second half goals by Devorn Jorsling and Richard Roy.
And simultaneously at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Caledonia slammed snatched a more than comfortable 4-1 result over cellar positioned T&TEC FC, the side they defeated 6-0 in Round One and Round Two.
Jamal Gay opened the scoring for Caledonia in the 37th minute, before T&TEC’s rare spark this season in teenager Nathaniel Garcia leveled the scores before the break with an item in the 42nd minute. But a late double by Nathan Lewis, netting in the 83rd and 86th minutes did the demolition work for the Morvant-Laventille club.
Caledonia, however, remained second on the standings with a boosted 36 points from 18 games, while Defence Force enjoys 40 points at the top from its 18 games and just three matches remaining.
Meantime Police remains sixth on the standings with 15 points with three league defeats against the soldiers this season despite commendable performances on all occasions ending 1-0 in Round One, 3-1 in Round Two, and Tuesday’s result 2-0.
The lawmen were broken in the 57th minute by a well placed Jorsling penalty kick against goalkeeper Adisa Alleyne for a 1-0 advantage following what some deemed a questionable call by referee Cecile Hinds a minute earlier.
It was clear disappointment for Alleyne who was adjudged guilty of a foul on Kevon Carter who was played into the area by Jorsling.
Alleyne had an excellent first half making a fingertip save 18 minutes inside the match to push behind a left footed Jorsling strike from above the area.
And two minutes later, Jerwyn Balthazar who touched a pass for the Jorsling effort, also won the soldiers a corner when his strike from inside the area, was deflected out.
Alleyne then pulled off a second timely save in the 26th minute, denying a Carter header from close up, off a perfectly placed Jemel Sebro cross.
And it was from another Sebro cross in the 85th minute that substitute Roy nailed the victory by blasting past a hapless Alleyne for the 2-0 finish. However Roy was ejected by a juvenile red card for dissent against referee Hinds in added on time.
Police meantime could only reminisce on their performance which included a 32nd minute effort by Kenaz Williams, directed at goalkeeper Kevin Graham who made a comfortable save.
The lawmen had a chance to pull the scores level in the 71st minute, before Roy’s item, but instead substitute Keon Quow lofted a header overbar—a minute after replacing an injured Christon Thomas—when he was played in by a Trent Noel cross. And had a penalty shout go unheard ten minutes from time, after Quow went down inside the area.
Digicel Pro League Championship
Round Three Match Day Four Results
Police FC 0—2 Defence Force
Devorn Jorsling 57’(pen), Richard Roy 85’
T&TEC FC 1—4 Caledonia AIA
Nathaniel Garcia 42’ ; Jamal Gay 7, 37’, Nathan Lewis 83’, 86’
Teams
Police FC—Adisa Alleyne (Yellow Card), Todd Ryan (capt.), Jasimar Ashers (Yellow Card), Akiba Peters, Trent Noel, Jameel Perry (Keon Quow 70th), Jevon Morris, Christon Thomas (Aaron Stewart 68th), Elijah Belgrave, Kenaz Williams, Kareem Perry.
Unused substitutes—Keston Mata, Anton Hutchinson, Dexter Alleyne, Matthew Marcano, Karlon Murray.
Coach—Richard Hood.
Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt.), Glynn Franklyn (Devin Jordan 46th), Keston Williams, Curtis Gonzales, Devorn Jorsling (Richard Roy 79th) (Red Card), Kevon Carter (Yellow Card), Jerwyn Balthazar, Sean Narcis (Ross Russell Jr. 75th), Rodell Elcock, Jemel Sebro.
Unused substitutes—Sheldon Clarke, Josimar Belgrave, Kerry Joseph, Dexter Pacheco.
Coach—Ross Russell.
Match Referee—Cecil Hinds.