Clico San Juan Jabloteh completed the T&T Pro League and Lucozade Sports “Big Six”double after battling to a 0-0 draw with title hopefuls W Connection at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, yesterday.
The ‘Savonetta Boys” on the other hand, needed a victory to end a run of two straight runners-up spot in the league, in 2006 and 2007.
However in the end, the Terry Fenwick-coached Jabloteh managed to get the required result before a sparse crowd of fewer than 200 spectators on a picturesque.
Both teams had chances to find the back of the net with the easiest falling to W Connection’s Teba Mc Knight in the first half and then Jabloteh’s Jason Marcano in the second period.
However, both players failed to find the target when it seemed the obvious. When he awakes this morning Mc Knight may still be wondering how he missed an open goal after Jabloteh goalkeeper Cleon John parried a shot into his path.
John did well to keep out an initial attempt from W Connection striker Andre Toussaint, but the ball fell right into Mc Knight’s path, however with time and space and from an acute angle he directed his effort over the bar.
Marcano should have also done better with his attempt, but put through on goal in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, he fired straight at the W Connection custodian.
With the drawn result, Jabloteh ended it 32 match campaign with 74 points, to win the league by two points.
The ‘San Juan Kings’ also topped the “Big Six” competition with 13 points from five matches, also two more than W Connection.
At the end of the 27 match regular season, both Jabloteh and W Connection were level on 61 points, but the latter had a superior goal-difference.
However, Jabloteh managed to turn things around in “Big Six” reeled off for consecutive wins prior to yesterday’s match while W Connection drew its first match in the “Big Six” with Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA to fall behind in the race.
In the end, those two points proved to be the deciding factor as Jabloteh added to its previous league triumphs from 2002, 2003 and 2007 while it also won the “Big Six” in 2006.
In the other matches, North East Stars whipped United Petrotrin 4-1 led by a double from T&T international Anthony Wolfe at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar to secure third spot in both competitions while Caledonia edged Joe Public 2-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo for fourth spot.
Jabloteh will now focus on the Toyota Classic competition which gets tomorrow (Monday) with four round-of-16 double-headers and the T&T Football Federation FA Trophy competition which begins on Wednesday.
Jabloteh retain Pro League title.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).
Yesterday, W Connection and CLICO San Juan Jabloteh played their final match of the 2008 TT Pro League season as if contesting one of their usually competitive knockout finals. And like any knockout, there was just one winner.
For the second year running, CLICO San Juan Jabloteh are the 2008 champions of both the TT Pro League and they have won the Lucozade Big 6 title as well.
Yesterday's decider produced thrilling football, which was spoilt only by a series of inconsistent calls from referee Geoffrey Hospedales. Still the 0-0 stalemate was enough to ensure that the defending league champions Jabloteh kept the two-point advantage with which they went into yesterday's match.
Jabloteh ended the season with 74 points from 32 matches, two ahead of W Connection.
The game produced no goals, but plenty highlights for the couple hundred supporters that gathered at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. From the onset, both teams went for victory.
W Connection needed full points, and might now reflect on what might have been had striker Teba McKnight found the net in the 25th minute The South team looked sure to score when Houghton Hector's defence-splitting pass loosed Andre Toussaint on the Jabloteh goal. Confronted, Toussaint rounded goalkeeper Cleon John, but could not squeeze the ball in from an angle. Instead, his blocked shot fell kindly for his strike partner McKnight, who disappointingly lifted the ball over Jabloteh's unguarded net.
Yes, it was a the most thrilling of stale-mates. One minute, central defender Elijah Joseph intercepted the ball in his own penalty area, and the next he was ending a long run with a crisp shot at keeper John after taking the ball upfield himself.
Toussaint looked the most dangerous W Connection player, and several times almost sprung his teammates with delicate short passes in the penalty box. But such was the importance of the match, that there was always an outstretched Jabloteh leg to turn the ball away at the last second.
Likewise, Jabloteh had one excellent moment to win the match outright, when in the 71st minute an uncharacteristic error from St Lucian central defender Elijah Joseph gave the ball to Jason Marcano in the centre of the W Connection penalty area. But although hopelessly out of position, and galloping across his exposed goal, keeper Marvin Phillip produced an acrobatic dive to touch the ball wide.
Jabloteh had a period early in each half where they dominated. Lester Peltier showed pace and trickery up the flank, but will never play for a top English team without improving on the series of bad crosses he made yesterday. And in the first half, speedy Jerol Forbes was dangerous for Jabloteh, and despite having four markers around him on one occasion, still forced a low save from Phillip in the W Connection goal.
Forbes made way for another speedster, Cornell Glen at the start of the second half and Glen twice produced good shots at Phillip's goal. There were no goals in the end, but still, it was a fitting way to end a long season.
Fenwick, Fevrier discuss 'special' Pro League race.
By Lasana Liburd (T&T Express).
The T&T Pro League's top two clubs shared pleasantries at the final whistle on Saturday afternoon, although there could be just one destination for the most coveted trophy in Trinidad and Tobago's domestic game.
CLICO San Juan Jabloteh successfully defended their Pro League crown and added the Lucozade Big Six gong for good measure after a goalless draw at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. But Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick applauded Connection for their heroic challenge.
Jabloteh and Connection have been bitter-and sometimes violent-rivals in past seasons but there was mutual respect after a title race that left the other eight clubs as spectators. In the end, 25 points separated second-placed Connection from third-placed Economy North East Stars.
It is Fenwick's third league title in five full seasons with the club, while Jabloteh's fourth league triumph made the "San Juan Kings" the most successful league outfit in Trinidad and Tobago's ten-year professional football history.
Connection managed three league titles within that period, while bmobile Joe Public, North East Stars and Defence Force have one apiece.
"The first (league title) for the club was obviously special," said Fenwick, a former England World Cup player, "but the manner we did it this time and with the pressure that we withstood with a lot of kids in our squad made this one very special and it was back to back as well.
"Last year, we won the league with 62 points but this time we got 12 points more. Ourselves and Connection were nearly 30 points clear of third place and that is unbelievable.
"I take a lot of pride in not just our players but our background staff as well and am especially delighted that we finished our season with a total Trinidad side. I think there is an abundance of talent here but sometimes attitude and discipline lets Trinidadians down."
Fenwick admitted that Connection jangled nerves in San Juan as they steadily whittled away an 11-point gap.
"Connection had a great season," he said. "After every game, we would ask how Connection did and would hear they won again I can't knock what they have done. To be unbeaten in over 20 games is brilliant."
Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier felt his charges ran out of steam in the end and struggled to lift their energy level after another convoluted late-season fixture list.
"I want to congratulate Jabloteh," said the celebrated St Lucian coach. "This was our 26th game without a defeat which showed our consistency but it was not enough. Our form earlier in the season let us down."
Fenwick was happy to claim the tactical victory on the weekend as Jabloteh restricted Connection to long balls while their central defensive pairing of Joel Russell and Robert Primus-both 18 years old-withstood the opposing frontline of "Soca Warrior" Andre Toussaint, St Kitts captain George Isaacs, Colombian Oscar Torijano and Teba McKnight.
"We didn't allow them to settle and forced them to play long balls," said Fenwick. "After the first ten minutes and the Toussaint effort, I can't remember them having anything significant I thought Russell and Primus were excellent. Both are 18-year-olds and that has to be the future of Trinidad and Tobago right there."
Both coaches agreed on Jabloteh captain Trent Noel as their choice for Player of the Season and Fevrier, a former Trinidad and Tobago head coach, was particularly liberal in his praise.
"I would not pick a national team without Trent Noel," said the Connection coach. "He can attack, he can defend, he is fit, he is consistent, he can set up goals and score goals and he has international experience.
"What more can (Trinidad and Tobago coach Francisco Maturana) want ?"
W Connection: - Marvin Phillip, Elijah Joseph (capt), Jose Luiz Seabra, Renato Pereira, Clyde Leon, Andre Toussaint, Nickcolson Thomas, Teba McKNight (George Issac 46th), Hughtun Hector (Oscar Torijano 58th), Andrei Pacheco (Christian Viveros 76th), Gerrard Williams.
San Juan Jabloteh: - Cleon John, Trent Noel (capt), Jerol Forbes (Cornell Glen 46th), Marvin Oliver, Elton John, Jason Marcano, Nigel Daniel, Joel Russell, Devon Jamerson (Lester Peltier 10th), Robert Primus, Elijah Manners.