Angostura 1976 Phoenix handed Sportworld National Super League leaders Superstar Rangers their first defeat of the 2005 competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo yesterday.
Rangers’ regular goalscorers, Akudo Goodridge and Josimar Belgrave, spurned a host of chances as their team fell 2-3 to Phoenix, who after six rounds of matches, held fifth position in the standings.
In the sixth minute, Lejandro Williams put Phoenix ahead as Rangers struggled in vain to find the target.
They doubled their lead in the 20th minute, courtesy Kevin Keith. Then, in the 36th minute, Keith put victory beyond his opponents’ reach as he got his second goal of the match.
Without starters Colin Roberts, Rayfer Ross and Lorne Joseph, who missed the match because of suspension, Rangers were a shadow of themselves, but managed to get back within a goal of their opponents when Claude Ryan scored in the 57th minute and Belgrave redeemed himself in the 74th, but their efforts were in vain.
Police, second to Rangers only on goal-difference, would have been pleased to know that the league leader went under in the earlier match.
Police was scheduled to play Stokely Vale FC at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago, at 5 pm yesterday and at least a draw would see them top the standings.
At the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Wasa Clean and White beat host side Couva Players United 3-1.
Before the match, the Couva footballers lay in sixth place on the standings with eight points, while Wasa trailed them by a point in seventh position. But from early on the Wasa players showed that they were the better team yesterday.
In the 28th minute, Sheldon Mondezie opened the scoring for Wasa and while Couva tried hard for an opening, Keston Thomas increased the lead for Wasa almost on the stroke of half-time.
Anthony Thompson shot back for Couva in the 69th minute before Anthony Dhanoolal assured Wasa’s victory with a goal in the 81st minute.
Maraval Youth Academy and M&M Harvard literally fought to a goalless draw at the Trinity College ground, Moka.
The match was a scrappy affair and referee Richard Piper was forced to show yellow cards to four players — Maraval’s Lindsay Grell and Ricardo Jones in the 11th and 77th minutes respectively and Rayshaun Mars and Seon Jack in the 12th and 83rd minute for Harvard.