Jabloteh find their range.
Earl Jean is not doing badly as San Juan Jabloteh's new coach. The St Lucian's young team currently lead the Digicel Pro League after five matches and have also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League.
And on Friday night, Jabloteh found their range in emphatic fashion to dispatch St Ann's Rangers 6-0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, on the way to a semi-final spot in the inaugural Lucozade Goal Shield knockout tournament.
They will now have a third meeting at the semi-final stage on Friday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium against arch-rivals W Connection, who dispatched Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille 4-1 to book their spot. Already this season Jabloteh and W Connection have split two matches, winning one apiece by the same 2-1 margin. The other Goal Shield semi-final matches United Petrotrin and Defence Force, who both got through their quarter-finals on penalty kicks after their games against Tobago United and Joe Public, respectively, ended in goalless draws.
At Malabar on Friday night, Rangers put up a fight for 25 minutes, until shooting themselves in the foot when defender Elijah Belgrave attempted to intercept Cyrano Glen's cross but did the job of the Jabloteh striker when guiding the ball past his own goalkeeper Javan Seegobin. Rangers never recovered from the own goal.
Jabloteh turned up the pressure and striker Jason Marcano got the first of two goals in the 37th minute to see the defending Pro League champions comfortably ahead 2-0 at the half.
Glen, younger brother of San Jose Earthquakes striker Cornell Glen, again supplied the cross which found Marcano who headed the ball past Seegobin.
Using only point man Errol McFarlane Jr up front, Rangers struggled to get their game together and often resorted to long passes.
The second half also belonged to Jabloteh and saw midfielder Atullah Guerra getting two late goals.
Marcano got his second goal in the 50th to put Jabloteh into a 3-0 lead, after he collected a pass from his cousin Elton John and hit the ball low past the Rangers keeper. Five minutes later, Devon Jamerson, son of former national midfielder Kerry Jamerson, made it 4-0 when knocking in the rebound after goalkeeper Seegobin had saved an initial shot from Guerra.
Rangers were done, and well cooked.
Guerra, who has scored a couple of goals at the back post this season, did so again when putting in John's cross to make it 5-0 in the 59th minute, leaving coach Jean in such a comfort zone at that stage that he took the opportunity to give both national Under-17 striker Jerrel Britto and new recruit Kevaughn Connell a run, taking off Glen and captain Marvin Oliver, respectively.
And Guerra was able to get his second in the 90th when cleaning up after the keeper parried Britto's shot into his path.
FRIDAY'S TEAMS:
San Juan Jabloteh-Cleon John, Marvin Oliver (capt) (Kevaughn Connell 76th), Karlon Murray, Noel Williams, Ataullah Guerra, Elton John, Jason Marcano, Devon Jamerson (Anton Hutchinson 72nd), Cyrano Glen (Jerrel Britto 64th), Joel Russell, Robert Primus.
Coach-Earl Jean.
St Ann's Rangers-Javan Seegobin, Errol McFarlane (capt), Coneal Thomas, Jerome Charles, Elijah Belgrave, Josimar Belgrave, Jevon Morris (Keston Hamilton 71st), Devon Modeste, Kerron Cordner (Jared Williams 62nd), Javan Wilson (Gyasi Joyce 72nd), Elijah Belgrave.
Coach-Anthony Streete.
Matthew, Graham snatches semis spot from under Lions.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).
Owen Matthew came on as a substitute and rescued Defence Force against Bmobile Joe Public with a strike in the final minute levelling the scores 1-1 before goalkeeper Kevon Graham made two saves from the penalty spot to book their team a Lucozade Sport Goal Shield semi-final spot.
Graham made blockouts on Kerry Baptiste and Keyeno Thomas before Matthew converted Defence Force’s fourth kick from the penalties for a 4-2 penalty victory on Friday night at the Larry Gomes Stadium in the quarterfinals of the Goal Shield.
Gorian Highley had scored in the first half to give Bmobile Joe Public a slim 1-0 advantage which lasted until seconds before the final minute of ordinary time.
Matthew replaced an ineffective Devon Jorsling—returning from national duty with the Trinidad and Tobago Senior Team—and he revived their supporting crowd rifling a shot from distance in the 90th minute beating goalkeeper Daurance Williams to level the scores 1-1 and forcing the match into penalties.
Defence Force are now against United Petrotrin in their semis clash next Friday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium after the Oilmen defeated Tobago United 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw in their quarterfinal clash at the Mannie ramjohn Stadium.
Joe Public started off with promise forcing a save out of Graham in the 12th minute when Hayden Tinto had a go at goal from Kerry Baptiste’s squared inside the area; however Tinto’s low left-footed effort lacked a pace and the Defence Force custodian wrapped comfortably.
Defence Force had an attempt on goal in the 26th minute from Corey Rivers but his miscued volley from above the area was easily gathered by Daurance Williams—in goal for his first match for Joe Public since joining the club during pre-season.
Minutes later Christopher Durity had a decent effort for Army which missed the upright by a couple of feet.
But in the 34th minute Gorian Highley landed the ball in the back of the Defence Force net for a 1-0 advantage with a well taken left-footed shot after teammate Akeil Guevarra made use of Tinto’s rebound to feed Highley on the left.
Defence Force made a couple of purposeful runs however only managed to threaten Williams’ once when Kevon Carter tried a low shot from outside the area in the 42nd minute which the Joe Public goalie easily gathered.
And second from the half, Devon Jorsling struck wide of Williams’ upright after defender Seon Power failed to connect to a long pass forward by the Army and Jorsling who continued his run could only cover his face after striking wide on the golden opportunity.
Twelve minutes inside the goalscorer Highley had to be replaced failing to continue after picking up a knock minutes earlier under a Michael Edwards’ defensive challenge.
In the 58th Kerry Baptiste missed the mark by a few feet after a neat exchange between himself and Tinto
However Joe Public went a man down in the 60th minute when Seon Power picked up his second yellow in a space of minutes, with the second coming against a foul on Defence Force striker Devon Jorsling outside the area.
The resulting freekick was pumped wide by Anton Joseph. Joseph was granted an opportunity two minutes later when goalkeeper Daurance Williams spilled a gather his was but the Defence Force man was again off target with his shot taking a minor deflection.
Joe Public was living dangerously momentarily when seconds later from the resulting corner Daurance had to slap the ball off his line.
In the 68th minute Army failed to level the scores when Jorsling was dispossessed inside the area by substitute Keyeno Thomas’ timely challenge after a throughball by Balthazar set him free on goalkeeper Williams but he took a fraction too long allowing the defender to get the better.
Jorsling was replaced three minutes later by Owen Matthew as Defence Force coach Ross Russell sorted some sort of response to Joe Public’s first half item.
Russell’s charges tried everything but failed to hit the target with another chance coming in the 79th minute when Christopher Durity headed over from inside the area off Rivers’ right side cross.
Meantime Joe Public used the counterattack system and created openings themselves, but they failed to add to their 1-0 advantage.
They were made to pay for that when in the final minute of ordinary time, substitute Owen Wilson rifled a shot from distance to beat Daurance Williams bellying the back of the Joe Public net and levelling the scores at 1-1 forcing the match into penalties under a light drizzle of rain.
TEAMS
Bmobile Joe Public—Daurance Williams, Kerry Baptiste (capt), Hayden Tinto (Devon Leacock 71st), Gorian Highley (Tiba McKnight 57th), Carlyle Mitchell, Seon Power (red card), Akeil Guevarra, Micah Lewis (Keyeno Thomas 61st), Jean-Luc Rochford, Julien Landeau, Jason Springer.
Coach—Derek King.
Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Michael Edwards (capt), Devon Jorsling (Owen Matthew 71st), Christopher Durity, Corey Rivers, Anton Pierre, Kevon Carter, Jerwyn Balthazar (Richard Roy 76th), Sean Narcis, Keston Pierre, Anton Joseph.
Coach-Ross Russell.
LUCOZADE GOAL SHIELD RESULTS:
San Juan Jabloteh 6 (Jason Marcano 37, 50, Devon Jamerson 55, Ataullah Guerra 59, 90, Elijah Belgrave 25-own goal) v St Ann's Rangers 0
Joe Public 0 v Defence Force 0
Defence Force won 4-2 on penalties
W Connection 4 (Jonathan Frias 6, 84, Matthew Bartholomew 27, Hughtun Hector 76) v Caledonia AIA 1 (Kareem Joseph 52-Pen)
United Petrotrin 0 v Tobago United 0
Petrotrin won 4-3 on penalties