Sidebar

28
Thu, Mar

Typography

Club Sando moved off the bottom of the Digicel Pro League (DPL) standings on Saturday with a 1-0 upset win over W Connection.

It was the second consecutive win for the Anthony Streete-coached Sando in less than a week, after registering their first DPL league win of the season on Tuesday with a 3-0 score over Morvant Caledonia United.

But Saturday’s win wasn’t possible without some luck at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

Devon Modeste capitalised with headed goal on 36 minutes after Connection goalkeeper Terrence Lewis palmed a cross into the Sando forward’s path.

Connection had carved Sando open on numerous occasions despite the opponents occupying their own half for most of the game. But the Savonetta Boys, without the services of forward Shahdon Winchester and attacking midfielder Jomal Williams due to international duty with the Soca Warriors, failed to find the back of the Sando net.

Twenty-year-old forward Jamal Charles came closest to pulling Connection level, but his strike, five minutes from time, clipped the base of the upright. Charles was one of three second-half substitutes, including 19-year-old recent T&T national team call-up Aikim Andrews and 15-year-old Isaiah Hudson, called upon by coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier.

The 1-0 result saw Sando (7 points) trade places with Morvant Caledonia United (4 points), to now occupy ninth and tenth, respectively. While Connection (13 points) slipped two spots into sixth at the end of Round One.

The 2015-16 standings is led by Defence Force, who humiliated Caledonia 8-0 on Friday night to secure the Rawle Fletcher (Round One) trophy with 20 points to their name.

But on Saturday, Police FC and defending league champions Central FC, now with 18 and 17 points, respectively, kept chase on the leaders with two rounds of the DPL still to go.

Police edged visiting Point Fortin Civic 3-2 earlier with a double from the DPL leading scorer this season, Makesi Lewis, and an equalising item from Elijah Belgrave.

Lewis opened the scoring in the first minute of play and scored the winner on 90 minutes, taking his league tally to 11 goals in nine games this season.

Civic had rebounded in the second half with a goal each from Kerwin Stafford and Akeem Redhead at the Larry Gomes Stadium in the 57th and 64th minutes, respectively. But the second positioned Police stormed back late to register their fourth straight win, with Belgrave’s equaliser on 81 minutes then Lewis’ winner.

Central, occupying third on the ladder, later whipped St. Ann’s Rangers 3-1 in the second game of the Couva double-header.

The Couva Sharks took 1-0 lead on 10 minutes when midfielder Sean De Silva smashed a right-footer past goalkeeper Stefan Berkeley from 22 yards after an errant long-range pass from Rangers defender Shakiyl Phillip.

De Silva missed out on another after 25 minutes of play when his strike, following a neat move involving Jason Marcano and Marvin Oliver, crashed off the upright.

Oliver, enjoying another of his hundreds of classy performances, even at age 40, should have put his name on the scoresheet ten minutes later, but struck high.

However it was Oliver’s feed on the 62 minutes, in another play involving Marcano, that allowed Darren Mitchell to put Central 2-0 up from close range.

Marcano then made it 3-0 on 70 minutes with a powerful strike through the legs of a hapless onrushing Berkeley, who, at the end of the game, tallied four second half saves, denying substitute Marcus Joseph twice and once each Marcano and substitute Nicholas Dillon.

Central FC defender Jamal Jack, on a counterattack, had made a surging run from the back to midway into the opposition’s half and played a pass to Marcano, who slipped beyond two defenders before firing past Berkeley.

But Rangers pulled a goal back on 78 minutes when substitute Trevin Latapy had the simple task of rolling the ball into the Couva Sharks net, with a huge smile, following an error in communication between goalkeeper Akel Clarke and defender Andre Ettienne near the goal line.

Rangers, eight on the standings with 8 points, will next meet Club Sando from 6 pm on Tuesday at the Ato Boldon Stadium, followed by an 8 pm kick-off between W Connection and Morvant Caledonia United in Round Two Match Day One.

Also on Tuesday in a late double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, San Juan Jabloteh will host Point Fortin Civic from 7 pm, before leaders Defence Force meet defending champions Central FC from 9 pm.

While Police FC and North East Stars will kick off Tuesday’s slate of games from 3:30 pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

Results

Police FC 3 (Makesi Lewis 1’, 90’, Elijah Belgrave 81’) vs Point Fortin Civic 2 (Kerwin Stafford 57’, Akeem Redhead 64’)

Club Sando 1 (Devon Modeste 36’) vs W Connection 0

Central FC 3 (Sean De Silva 10’, Darren Mitchell 62’, Jason Marcano 70’) vs St. Ann’s Rangers 1 (Trevin Latapy 78’)

Teams

Club Sando: 34.Kelvin Henry (Capt.); 6.Kemuel Rivers, 7.Akeem Humphrey, 8.Jeromie Williams, 9.Jesse Downing, 15.Amrit Gildharry, 16.Kevon Woodley, 17.Jared London, 19.Ryan Frederick (21.Kerron Mitchell 74th), 22.Coneal Thomas, 24.Devon Modeste (12.Jack Weedon 90th)

Unused substitutes: 10.Kevon Neaves, 18.Shane Hospidales, 26.Shaquille Holder, 33.Alexei Julien (GK)

Coach: Anthony Streete

W Connection: 1.Terrence Lewis; 2.Kurt Frederick, 3.Gerard Williams, 5.Triston Hodge, 11.Neil Benjamin Jr., 12.Dimitrie Apai (17.Aikim Andrews 65th), 16.Alvin Jones (Capt.), 19.Dwight Quintero (20.Jamal Charles 65th), 21.Shannon Gomez, 23.Kevon Goddard, 34.Jabari Mitchell (32.Isaiah Hudson 74th)

Unused substitutes: 4.Maurice Ford, 18.Julani Archibald (GK), 35.Keston Julien, 36.Nathaniel Brown

Coach: Stuart Charles Fevrier

Teams

Central FC: 30.Akel Clarke; 2.Elton John, 3.Keion Goodridge, 4.Andre Ettienne, 7.Jason Marcano (14.Nicholas Dillon 80th), 8.Sean De Silva (99.Marcus Joseph 63rd), 10.Marvin Oliver, 11.Darren Mitchell, 12.Jamal Jack, 15.Kaydion Gabriel, 22.Leston Paul (Capt) (19.Nathaniel Garcia 74th)

Unused substitutes: 1.Javon Sample (GK), 5.Akeem Benjamin, 24.Kevon Villaroel, 25.Elijah Manners

Coach: Dale Saunders

St. Ann’s Rangers: 1.Stefan Berkeley; 2.Shakiyl Phillip, 4.Jelani Peters, 5.Miguel Romeo (Capt.), 7.Sedale Mc Lean, 8.Kevon Piper (29.Jameel Antoine 74th), 9.Keron Cornwall, 16.Richard Williams, 17.Kadeem Hutchinson (6.Shaquille Moses 74th), 23.Sayid Freitas, 44.Shaquille Williams (18.Trevin Latapy 46th)

Unused substitutes: 21.Keon Peters, 22.Christopher Biggette (GK), 30.Chevon Legendre

Coach: Angus Eve

Upcoming Fixtures

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Police FC vs North East Stars—3:30 pm, Larry Gomes Stadium

Club Sando vs St. Ann’s Rangers—6 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium
W Connection vs Morvant Caledonia United—8 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium

San Juan Jabloteh vs Point Fortin Civic—7 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium
Defence Force vs Central FC—9 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium