North East take over-as 'Big Guns' falter.
With: Joel Villafana.[/size]
North East Stars are shining brightly at the top of the Pro League table thanks to a narrow 1-0 win over Starworld Strikers-together with Jabloteh,
Joe Public and W Connection all being held to draws in their respective games.
In the second match up at the Ato Boldon Stadium-the Sangre Grande based outfit got an early goal from the prolific Guyanese striker Nigel Codrington in the 15th minute. North East dominated the first period of play-and should have doubled their score-but Shandel Samuel missed a penalty just before the half time whistle.
In the second half the unlucky Starworld Strikers threw caution to the wind and gave it everything, but could not find an opening-as the 'Stars' held on to win what in the end turned out to be a vital 1-0 triumph.
The 'Boys from Grande' going top of the table now on 31 points. North East must however, give thanks to Defence Force-as the Army did well to keep the star-studded Jabloteh at bay.
Jabloteh were unable to produce their goal-scoring form in this northern derby and were held to a 1-1 draw. Defence Force grabbed the lead surprisingly in the 18th minute when Jerywn Balthazar made a run down the right and squared the ball across the face of the goal-and found an open Ronald St. Louis and he stabbed it past Daurance Williams in the Jabloteh goal-the Army in front 1-0.
The 'San Juan Kings' kept their cool and equalized in the 35th minute, from a set play-skipper Kerry Baptiste swung a free kick which found a towering Keyeno Thomas rise and head home-Jabloteh back on even terms.
That's how it stayed at the half-and on the resumption both teams cancelled out each other as the Defence Force kept out the Jabloteh attacks in the
>2nd half, which were few and far between. Jabloteh failing to get maximum points and dropping to 2nd behind North East on the standings on 30 points.
Meantime, up at the Larry Gomes Stadium-Joe Public also faltered as they were held up to a goalless draw against Superstar Rangers. Public once again failing to find the back of the net, as the 'Eastern Lions' also seemed to have misplaced their goal scoring prowess-Public staying 3rd on 27 points.
In the second game in Arima, the defending champions W Connection failed to capitalize, and they too battled to a 2-2 draw with Caledonia AIA Fire.
'Soca Warrior' defender David Atiba Charles turned from hero to villain-despite scoring a brace on the night, he also scored an own goal to hand Caledonia a point.
After the game took about 25 minutes to settle-the action started when Charles cracked the opening goal-he was on spot when the ball rebounded into play from a long range shot, and he tapped it into the net-Connection taking a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute.
In the 2nd half the plucky Caledonia struck back in minute 51-when Kareem Joseph leveled the score at 1-1. Things looked bright for the 'Men from Morvant'-when W Connection skipper Earl Jean missed a penalty-but Atiba Charles was once again at the right spot at the right time-he found himself unmarked on the far post and stabbed home a cross to give the 'Savonetta Boys' a 2-1 lead. But as fate would have it-Atiba Charles completed an 'unwanted hattrick' as he scored an own goal in the 65th minute to tie the scores at 2-2. That's how it stayed to the end-Connection missing out on an opportunity to make up some ground on the leaders-the Champions staying in 4th place on 26 points.
And across in the sister isle-the 'Boys from Tobago continue to have a rough time-as United Petrotrin got the better of them 2-0. The 'Oilmen' got a goal in each half-Marlon Lewis latched on to a loose ball, which the Tobago defence failed to clear and he slammed it home in the 39th minute.
In the 86th minute-Beville Joseph sealed the issue scoring Petrotrin's 2nd to warp up a 2-0 win for the southerners-Brian Williams team however still in 6th position despite, moving to 16 points.
Round 13 results.
Defence Force 1 v Jabloteh 1
Starworld Strikers 0 v North East Stars 1
Joe Public 0 v Superstar Rangers 0
Caledonia AIA Fire 2 v W Connection 2
Tobago United 0 v United Petrotrin 2
