Sidebar

28
Thu, Mar

Typography

Tobago FCSweaters Touring Team were having the better of the opening minutes of the Trinidad and Tobago Women's FA Trophy Final until scoring an early goal against overwhelming favourites Tobago FC before a small turnout on Wednesday at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.

However, the shock of falling behind to lower division opposition spurred the 2009 Premier League and Big Four champions into action and they dominated the rest of the match.

But the Tobago team had to sweat, wasting numerous chances and taking a full 76 minutes to pull level, before going on to win the FA Trophy final by a 3-1 margin.

Tobago FC thus made a clean sweep of this season's women's football competitions.

The match got off to a spectacular start when in just the fourth minute Tineil Garcia caught Tobago keeper Julie Ann McDougall out with a lob from the left. The under-dogs were ahead, but then it was all Tobago.

Still they struggled to pull level, only getting the tying goal in the 76th when tall central defender Sterle Timothy met a corner-kick with an unstoppable downward header.

Striker Candice Edwards had wasted many of the chances on the night and failed to do anything positive with her left foot, until cutting inside her marker and curling a left-footer inside the far post in the 82nd minute, giving Tobago a 2-1 advantage.

The game looked set to end by that margin until the Sweater goalkeeper let a routine catch slip through her grasp, giving Akielah George the easiest goal on the night, a tap-in in added-on time.

For the most part it was a wasteful night by the Tobago team and a final of really low quality.

Tobago were obviously the better team, but hardly looked a top-class combination on the night. And their main threat, striker Edwards, was either caught offside, or was forced onto the left foot with which she did very little.

Even after going around keeper Lopez in the 13th minute, Edwards still hit the ball wide of the open net with her left foot.

Before the first half ended, defender Timothy also had a good header turned over the Sweater goal by Lopez and Edwards met Karen Forbes' cross free in the centre of the penalty area, but got under the ball and headed over.

Edwards, though, did score a very good goal when finding the inside of the far post to put her squad ahead.

At the end, it was all joy for the Tobago girls, who deserved to win because they were the better team and ended their best-ever season with noisy celebrations.

Wednesday night's FA Trophy victory was not their best performance, but it completed a great achievement by Tobago FC of winning the Premier League, Big Four and FA trophy--a rare clean sweep.

TEAMS:

TOBAGO FC: 22-Julie Ann McDougall, 5-Karyn Forbes, 4-Sterle Timothy, 6-Renasha Jones, 12-Akielah George, 3-Kemba Duncan, 13-Tamara Wilson, 14-Karice King, 7-Candice Edwards, 11-Jenniela McKellar, 2-Daydra James (Candice Alleyne 46th)

SUBS: 1-Kamika Forbes, 15-Kadie Robinson, 10-Sharel Guerra, 8-Kathyann Sandy, 16-Njemile Charles

Coach: Corbin Cooper

SWEATERS TOURING TEAM: 22-Annbelle Lopez, 3-Sandra Paul, 5-Tiffany Richards, 7-Minty Cruickshank, 10-Kia Simon, 11-Afisha Mohammed, 13-Cleeange Phillip, 17-Khristel Gabriel (Simeon Wight 89th), 18-Sandra Guy (Natasha Wellington 65th), 19-Tineil Garcia, 23-Antonette Wolffe

SUBS: 00-Chensse Skinner, 2-Shenelle Roberts, 9-Danielle Charles, 12-Charrissa Romero, 14-Kernilla Paul, 16-Chantelle Hamid.