W Connection blew open the T&T Professional Football League by beating table-toppers North East Stars 3-1 yesterday in a second round match of the Big Six playoffs at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
The W Connection footballers, going after the treble having won the Pro Bowl and First Citizens Bank Cup, moved to within three points of North East Stars with the victory. They also opened up a way for defending champion and the other main challenger San Juan Jabloteh—engaged in a late kick-off against Arima Morvant Fire. WCFC coach Reynold Carrington got the start he wanted when referee Neil Brizan awarded a penalty after Guyanese defender Charles Pollard tripped W Connecton forward Kendall Davis inside the box. A confident, Jose Luiz Seabra, one of two Brazilians on the side, made no mistake with the spot kick, beating goalkeeper Michael Peters. Seabra would turn villain in the 41st minute when he fouled Jerren Nixon to give away a penalty to North East Stars.
Nixon, who came into the match nursing a hamstring injury, was equal to the task, hitting away from ‘keeper Alejandro Figueroa to tie up the score.
In the second period it was almost one-way traffic as “W” turned on the pressure, getting two more easy goals from St Lucian Earl Jean and Kendall Davis.
Jean put his side in front in the 64th, hitting into an open goal after a crossed ball from Davis took a deflection and beat the North East Stars defence and ‘keeper Peters.
Kendall Davis added the third in the 84th minute when he tapped home a centre from Seabra. The former St Benedicts player missed getting a double soon after, choosing to dribble Peters (he failed) instead of passing to Seabra who was in a better goalscoring position.
Defence Force came from a goal down to draw with South Starworld Strikers in another match at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain. After a goalless first-half, Kelvin Hernandez put the southerners in the lead in the 62nd minute. The soldier/sailor combination struck back in the 80th with a Kurt Williams penalty.
The penalty was given by referee Ted Gordon when defender Rene Morris deliberately handled the ball. Morris was given marching orders for the offence.
San Juan Jabloteh footballers kept their chances alive in the T&T Professional Football League when they scored a 3-1 win over Arima/Morvant Fire, on Sunday under lights at Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima. While the win was set up by two first half goals by Kerry Baptiste, Jabloteh, the defending champion, had to dig deep to avoid a troublesome “Fire” outfit.
Baptiste opened the scoring in the 18th minute, capitalising on a mix-up between goalkeeper Michael Woods and defender Darryl James to tap home. The latest addition to the squad Peter Prosper, engineered the second goal in the 31st minute, getting the ball in midfield and moving up field to lay on a perfect pass for Baptiste to finish the effort.
“Fire” came fighting back in the second period and was rewarded with an Ashford Leggerton goal in the 55th minute, following a clever move by Conrad Smith, who dribbled three players before setting up his teammate.
The “Fire” players had their fair share of chances, with Smith and Leggerton getting the best opportunities to score. Prosper killed whatever chance “Fire” had of getting back into the game when he took advantage of a blunder by the defence to net easily in the 83rd minute. A pointer as to who will win the league will take place tomorrow, when Jabloteh clashes with table-toppers North East Stars at Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima, from 7 pm. A win for the Sangre Grande-based North East Stars will put the team in a solid position, since it is three points up and have a far superior goal difference over Jabloteh, and the other main contender, Vibe CT 105 W Connection. A Jabloteh victory, and a win for W Connection over Defence Force at Hasely Crawford Stadium (7 pm) will see all three teams locked on 48 points, setting up a gripping finish.
Results:
W Connection 3 (Jose Luis Seabra, Earl Jean, Kendall Davis) v North East Stars 1 (Jerren Nixon).
Starworld Strikers 1 (Kelvin Hernandez) v Defence Force (Kurt Williams).
San Juan Jaboleth 3 (Kerry Baptiste 2, Peter Prosper) v Arima Movant Fire 1 (Ashford Leggerton).