Former W Connection striker Teba Mc Knight scored on either side of the half to propel Super League leaders and Super League Cup champions, Club Sando, to a much celebrated 3-1 win over 8-men finishing Police FC in the preliminary round of the 2013 Toyota Classic on Friday night at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
McKnight’s former employers and present Digicel Pro League leaders, DIRECTV W Connection, were also in action at the Couva venue and made easy of Super League outfit Real Maracas with 2-0 win in the first match of a double header.
Defending DPL champions Defence Force and last season’s runners-up Caledonia AIA were also in winners’ row on Friday night, both registering 3-0 wins over Super League opponents at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
Defence Force sent 1976 Tobago Phoenix packing out of the Toyota Classic in the first match of the Macoya double header.
Jemel Sebro opened the scoring in the 29th minute and a second half double by Richard Roy, netting in the 54th and 64th minutes, sealed the soldiers’ place in the quarter-final round on the weekend of the 16th and 17th November.
Caledonia in the second match, didn’t exact a 6-1 league win over Rangers one week ago, but did enough just enough for a comfortable win.
Noel Williams fired Caledonia ahead in the 5th minute, and was joined on the score-sheet by Marcus Ambrose in the 72nd minute and Grenadian Kithson Bain in the 79th minute.
Caledonia advances to meet Club Sando in the quarter-final round, while Defence Force and W Connection must await the winners of Saturday’s double header at the Marvin Lee Stadium to know their next opponents.
Defence Force will meet the winner between Central FC and Joe Public, which kicks off from 6pm at the Macoya venue. Connection meanwhile will next meet the winner between Malabar FC and San Juan Jabloteh, which kicks off from 8pm.
Club Sando conceded first against Police when in the 23rd minute of play, Todd Ryan converted past goalkeeper Andre Marchan from the penalty spot for a 1-0 advantage.
Referee Larry Lalchan awarded the penalty after an initial strike by Ryan crashed onto the arm of former W Connection right-back Kern Cupid.
But Sando, coached by former St. Ann’s Rangers head coach and a former W Connection assistant coach, Anthony Streete, had a lot to prove with its roster predominantly former Pro League players. Even former Connection goalie and present Central FC number one custodian serves as Sando’s goalkeeper coach.
Mc Knight, Club Sando’s captain, leveled the scores 1-1 in the 39th minute when he headed in a Kemuel Rivers’ corner.
Rivers, also a former Connection player, initially won Sando the corner after his free-kick from above the area was pushed wide by goalkeeper Adrian Foncette.
Police never really settled thereafter, claiming that Mc Knight’s header never crossed the goal-line.
That was the least of referee Lalchan’s worries as the game progressed though.
Mc Knight wasted no time in the second period, pushing Club Sando in the lead 2-1 by the 48th minute when he picked up a neat pass by Jesse Downing and rounded defender Anton Hutchinson before hitting past goalkeeper Foncette.
Eleven minutes later, Police showed a rare glimmer of hope with neat exchanges of passes; however Malchan produced a fine save in the end to deny Ryan.
And it all came crashing down for “Lawmen” from then on.
In the 66th minute defender Christon Thomas received a direct red card for a crunching tackle on Rivers, and not long after, left-back Dexter Alleyne was sent marching with his second yellow of the match for a second foul on former Rangers standout Devon Modeste.
Former San Juan Jabloteh and Trinidad and Tobago defender Nigel Daniel was summoned by Streete, and he made it 3-1 in the 76th minute when his deflected strike from inside the area left goalkeeper Foncette beaten.
Police however, logged a record number of red cards in the Toyota Classic, when in the third and final minute of added on time, defender Anton Hutchinson picked up a second yellow card for a hostile challenge on Modeste.
Modeste was the target of a string of aggressive tackles by a clearly frustrated Hutchinson, which eventually led to his consecutive yellow cards in injury time.
Connection’s match in the earlier fixture wasn’t as dramatic, but included two goals, an effort off the upright and the sending off of “Savonnetta boys” defensive midfielder Silvio Spann. Not forgetting a number of wasted efforts by Connection.
Connection took the lead in the 23rd minute for a 1-0 score when Hashim Arcia headed in a Jerrel Britto cross past goalkeeper Barry Gonzales.
Joao Ananias Jordao Jr. had gone to ground pleading for a foul which was ignored, and quick thinking by Britto to whip in the cross, led to the Connection goal.
However Britto was one of those guilty of poor finishing on the night, while Maracas survived a number scares.
Less than a minute inside the second half Connection’s Colombian midfielder Yefer Steven Lozano curled an effort onto the base of the upright as Connection chased another item.
Maracas had a couple looks at goal themselves but trailed a 2-0 Connection cushion by the 51st minute when Yhon Stiven Lopez executed a piece of finesse to float a strike past goalkeeper Gonzales.
Connection later lost veteran midfielder Spann to his second yellow card awarded by referee Neil Brizan for simulation ten minutes from time—failing to last for the final whistle celebrations.
In other preliminary round clashes, Point Fortin Civic will host Super League’s Tobago Phoenix from 3pm at the Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin on Saturday, and on Sunday from the same time, defending champions North East Stars will tackle Super League powerhouse Guaya United at the Guayaguayare Secondary School Ground. The winners of both matches will meet in the quarter-final round.
Results
W Connection 2—0 Real Maracas FC
Hashim Arcia 23’, Yhon Stiven Lopez 51’
1976 Tobago Phoenix 0—3 Defence Force
Jemel Seabro 29’, Richard Roy 54’, 64’
Police FC 1—3 Club Sando
Todd Ryan 24’(pen) ; Teba McKnight 39’, 48’, Nigel Daniel 76’
Caledonia AIA 3—0 St. Ann’s Rangers
Noel Williams 5’, Marcus Ambrose 72’, Kithson Bain 79’
Teams
W Connection—18. Jelani Archibald, 4. Daneil Cyrus (capt.), 2. Kurt Frederick, 7. Silvio Spann (Yellow Card + Yellow Card), 10. Joevin Jones, 14. Hashim Arcia (65. Neil Benjamin Jr. 78th), 15. Mekeil Williams, 24. Joao Ananias Jordao Jr., 27. Yefer Steven Lozano (11. Tremain Shayn Paul 74th), 28. Yhon Stiven Lopez, 31. Jerrel Britto (17. Jamal Clarence 62nd)
Unused substitutes—22. Aquelius Sylvester (GK), 13. Devaughn Elliot, 19. Joel Leslie Russell, 39. Alvin Jones
Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Real Maracas FC—22. Gary Gonzales, 16. Kerwyn Bartholomew (capt.), 3. David Lopez, 4. Marvin Manswell (27. Shakiyl Phillip 84th), 7. Shacquille Smith (Yellow Card), 9. Dillon Bartholomew, 18. Jahhan Hernandez, 21. Pernell Schultz (20. Aaron Peters 67th), 23. Marc Leslie, 24. Kevin Morang (26. Curt Danclar 67th), 25. Jemel Patron
Unused substitutes—30. Junior Granger (GK), 15. Kester Mejias, 29. Corie Dhanoolal
Coach—Marlon Charles
Teams
Club Sando—1. Andre Marchan, 11. Teba McKnight (capt.) (10. Andy London 80th), 4. Anthony Parris (Yellow Card), 6. Kemuel Rivers, 8. Kerron Smith, 9. Jesse Downing (12. Nigel Daniel 64th), 13. Kern Cupid, 19. Ryan Fredericks (18. Andre Phillip 88th), 20. Dwayne Charles, 22. Corneal Thomas, 24. Devon Modeste
Unused substitutes—33. Alexei Julien (GK), 3. Kirwyn Jackson, 14. Randy Britto, 26. Odelle Armstrong
Coach—Anthony Streete
Police FC—18. Adrian Foncette, 21. Todd Ryan (capt.), 5. Anton Hutchinson (Yellow Card + Yellow Card), 6. Kenaz Williams (11. Kareem Perry 75th) (Yellow Card), 8. Akiba Peters, 10. Trent Noel, 17. Dexter Alleyne (Yellow Card + Yellow Card), 19. Christon Thomas (Red Card), 20. Elijah Belgrave, 25. Kemron Purcell, 39. Joel Kevin Lewis (7. Brendon Christopher 75th)
Unused substitutes—31. Theon Browne (GK), 1. Errol Charles, 27. Dwayne Salazar, 28. Aaron Stewart, 40. Jabari Williams
Coach—Richard Hood