Caesar strike gives Mc Comie victory over former club.
Tobagonian Trevin Caesar registered the winning item for Ma Pau SC four minutes from time handing coach Michael McComie a 3-2 victory against his former club Bmobile Joe Public on Tuesday evening at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
The victory will surely be a memorable one for coach Michael McComie coming up against his former club for the first time since taking charge of Ma Pau SC this season.
Ma Pau were the biggest movers this week moving into third on the standings with 9points from seventh position. They are five points behind leaders San Juan Jabloteh and one less than second positioned Caledonia AIA of Morvant Laventille.
It was Joe Public’s first defeat of the 2009 League championship and they dropped from second to fifth despite a second half double by ace striker Kerry Baptiste whose tally is now 9 goals in five matches.
In other matches Tobago United held United Petrotrin to a goalless draw at Plymouth Recreation Ground and it was the same result between Police FC and FC South End at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium. Meantime Jabloteh squeezed a 1-0 win against Defence Force to maintain top spot.
At the Larry Gomes Stadium Joe Public’s Hayden Tinto had the first real attempt on goal after taking down Kerry Baptiste’s corner on top the area, turning and unleashing a low shot on goal however Jefferson George was alert and gathered comfortably.
But it was Ma Pau who took a 1-0 advantage seconds before the halftime whistle when Sayid Freitas blasted past goalkeeper Michael Woods from inside the area.
Woods had made a crucial blockout on Kevin Molino at close range but to his dismay the ball fell in Freitas’ path on the right and the Ma Pau player did the damage against the Lions leading his team 1-0 at the half.
Five minutes into the second half and Joe Public were back in the game levelling the scores 1-1 after Kerry Baptiste went under to defender Akeem Benjamin’s challenge inside the area and then took the resulting penalty himself beating goalkeeper George.
George who is back into the game after serving as goalkeeping coach with Joe Public and the Trinidad and Tobago U-20 teams received a shock three minutes later when Baptiste headed past him after meeting a well placed cross ball by Gorian Highley for a 2-1 advantage.
But Mikeil Williams equalized for Ma Pau in the 64th minute guiding Curtis Gonzales’ cross past the gloves of Woods nestling it just inside the upright.
Joe public then missed a golden opportunity in the 70th minute when Carlyle Mitchell headed wide of the post from just above the six yard area after meeting a Highley pass.
The Lions pressed on and was denied two minutes later when George blocked out a curling Baptiste effort from inside the area.
Ma Pau had a decent try at goal seven minutes from time when Freitas headed just wide of the after receiving a well placed cross by their most influential player in the first half teenaged midfielder Kevin Molino who is on loan from Jabloteh.
Trevin Caesar then scored the winner for Ma Pau in the 86th minute after a hardworked battle against Keyeno Thomas and Kareem Young before finally pumping the ball past Woods for a 3-2 victory.
Teams
Ma Pau SC—Jefferson George, Lyndon Andrews (capt) (Yellow), Marc Leslie (Aquil Selby 88th), Sayid Freitas (Yellow), Curtis Gonzales, Kevin Molino, Mikeil Williams, Akeem Benjamin, Dwayne James (Rennie Britto 76th), Trevin Caesar, Rashad Wint.
Coach—Michael Mc Comie.
Joe Public—Michael Woods, Kerry Baptiste (capt), Seon Power (Kareem Young 75th), Akeil Guevara (Dale Saunders 45th) (Yellow), Carlyle Mitchell, Jason Springer, Gorian Highley, Hayden Tinto, Micah Lewis, Jean Luc Rochford (Yellow), Julien Landeau (Yellow) (Keyeno Thomas 45th).
Coach—Derek King.
Tobago hard to beat.
Tobago United are proving more and more a difficult outfit to beat despite being labelled the whipping dogs of the League and sitting at the bottom of the table for the past few years.
United under the guidance of Peter Granville were hosts to United Petrotrin at the Plymouth Recreation Ground on Tuesday and held the Oilmen to a goalless draw proving that anything is possible.
United went under to the Oilmen last Friday in the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield quarterfinals 4-3 on penalties following a goalless draw and managed another goalless draw this week, this time in the League.
Despite being held to a 0-0 draw United Petrotrin moved up two spots into fourth on the Digicel Pro League standings while Tobago collected their one point and are still at the bottom with just 2 points.
The Tobagonians are at the bottom, but looking at their marginal defeats this season, it says a lot of positives for their future.
Tobago United were beaten 2-1 against Ma Pau SC, 2-1 to Police FC, 1-0 against San Juan Jabloteh, 2-1 against W Connection and held Rangers 1-1 in a rescheduled Match Day Four clash. United had one win this season in the qualifiers of the Goal Shield where they defeated Police FC 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw.
This week Police FC and FC SouthEnd played to a goalless draw at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in the first match of a double header. South End moved up one spot into 8th, trading places with St Ann’s Rangers 6-0 losers to Caledonia AIA of Morvant Laventille in 9th and Police FC in 10th all with 5 points to their names.
In the second tie at the Marabella venue Marvin Oliver scored an 81st minute item to earn San Juan Jabloteh maximum points against Defence Force 1-0.
Jabloteh maintain top position now with 14 points, followed by Caledonia(10 points) in second and Ma Pau SC(9 points) in third.
W Connection received a bye on Tuesday and following results by the other teams, the Savonnetta Boys dropped three places into 6th.
Rangers crumble against Caledonia.
Caledonia AIA of Morvant Laventille demolished St Ann’s Rangers scoring six unanswered goals on Tuesday night at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Digicel Pro League action.
Striker Keyon Edwards registered a hattrick inflicting the most damage on his former club who received the same 6-0 scoreline against San Juan Jabloteh last Friday in the quarterfinals of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield.
Defender Kareem Joseph was a double goalscorer while Vincentian Kendall Velox had one to his name as Caledonia cruised to victory in Match Day Six.
The win pumped Caledonia up four places into second on the League standings with 10 points, four less than leaders San Juan Jabloteh.
Jabloteh maintained top spot and extended their unbeaten run in the Digicel Pro League to six matches after a Marvin Oliver 81st minute strike gave them a 1-0 win against Defence Force at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
Rangers set their miserable night on themselves when in the fourth minute of play Elijah Belgrave brought down Abdallah Phillips inside the area awarding Caledonia a penalty.
Kareem Joseph then finished it on the second attempt after goalkeeper Valcourt blocked out the initial kick but the rebound was in Joseph’s favour and he guided it past the rangers for an early 1-0 advantage.
Rangers coming off a huge defeat against Jabloteh in the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield looked in similar fashion with a vulnerable defence in which Caledonia exposed on numerous occasions.
Keyon Edwards doubled Caledonia’s lead 2-0 in the 42nd minute after latching onto a long pass forward and comfortably placing it past Valcourt.
But Caledonia failed to do further damage seconds from the half time whistle when Odelle Armstrong scooped the ball over the Rangers’ net with only goalkeeper Valcourt to beat after a neat short pass by Keon Daniel.
Rangers had a couple of first half chances with Josimar Belgrave’s deft volley off Christon Thomas’ cross tipped behind by Dwayne Sandy in the 23rd minute and Jared Williams denied by the gloves of Sandy in the 44th minute.
Rangers had a spark two minutes inside the second half when Devon Modeste pulled an effort just wide of goalkeeper Dwayne Sandy’s far post.
Rangers’ defender Keston Hamilton had to clear off the line from a Caledonia corner in the 53rd and had to do it again in the 61st minute after goalkeeper Valcourt was left beaten off his line.
But things got worse for the St Ann’s based club conceding three goals in five minutes—as a change in goalie Valcourt replacing Javan Seegobin after last week’s 6-0 defeat didn’t prove a difference.
Caledonia made it 3-0 by the 71st minute through substitute Kendall Velox—five minutes after coming onto the pitch— and 4-0 two minutes later when Kareem Joseph blasted in from the left after Keon Daniel’s corner slipped through both Rangers and Caledonia players and Keyon Edwards made it 5-0 in the 75th minute slipping his second item past Valcourt.
Caledonia created further openings which should have given them double figures however Rangers were fortunate to conceded just one more in the final minute of regulation time and from no other than their former Keyon Edwards ending the match 6-0.
Teams
St Ann’s Rangers—Valcourt Fortunato, Errol Mc Farlane (capt), Elijah Belgrave, Christon Thomas, Josimar Belgrave, Devon Modeste, Javon Wilson, Keston Hamilton, Jared Williams (Shem McFarlane 76th), Gyasi Joyce, Richard Santana (Jovica Bristol 77th).
Coach—Anthony Streete.
Caledonia AIA of Morvant Laventille—Dwayne Sandy, Charles Pollard (capt), Radanfah Abu Bakr, Stephan David, Keyon Edwards, Abdallah Phillips, Kareem Joseph, Walter Moore, Keon Daniel (Akim Armstrong 77th), Densill Theobald (Kerry Daniel 80th), Odelle Armstrong (Kendall Velox 66th).
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz.
Full Results From Yesterday's Games.
Ma Pau SC 3 (Sayid Freitas 45, Mikeil Williams 62, Trevin Caesar 85) v Joe Public 2 (Kerry Baptiste 50, 54)
Police FC 0 v FC South End 0
San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Marvin Oliver 81) v Defence Force 0
St. Ann’s Rangers 0 v Caledonia AIA 6 (Kareem Joseph 16-Pen, 72, Keyon Edwards 43, 75, 90, Kendall Velox 70)
Tobago United 0 v United Petrotrin 0
W Connection - BYE