Jabloteh back on top, W Connection stumble.
With: Joel Villafana.[/size]
San Juan Jabloteh was at their clinical best, and dispatched North East Stars 4-2 in a top of the table clash, that lived up to all expectations at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
Jabloteh welcomed back world cup midfielder Aurtis Whitley with open arms, the talented midfielder playing in his first game for Jabloteh since his return from Germany—and he played his role in helping the ‘San Juan Boys’ take back control at the top of the table.
Jabloteh entered the match in 2nd place behind their opponents—and from the first whistle Terry Fenwick’s men looked hungry—and opened the scoring as early as the 9th minute, when Jason Marcano with his hand still in a cast, ran behind the North East defence and rose above everyone to head home a right-sided cross—Jabloteh taking an early 1-0 lead.
The ‘San Juan Kings continued to press and in the 12th minute scored one of the best worked goals you will ever see—Jabloteh moved the ball sweetly from defence into attack and Jason Marcano turned provider, making a run down the flank and squared the ball back deep, where an open Wendell Joseph collected and with clinical precision tapped it home—Jabloteh comfortably in front 2-0.
North East Stars kept fighting, but it got worse for the Grande men in the 19th minute—skipper Charles Pollard failed to control a back pass, and he directed the ball pass his goal keeper to score an own goal and handing Jabloteh a 3-0 cushion within the first 20 minutes of the game.
The Sangre Grande based team did not roll over and die however, in minute 35, Guyanese striker Nigel Codrington, a former Jabloteh marksman was sent through and cracked a ferocious shot over the bar.
But in time added on at the end of the first half—the North East Bench had something to shout about, as Marvin Oliver stepped up to take a direct free kick from some 25 yards out—the 28 year old local midfielder struck it ‘Beckham-like’ curling it around the wall and past the outstretched hand of Daurance Williams in the Jabloteh goal.
The ‘Stars’ taking some consolation into the dressing rooms—3-1 at the half.
The mountain was too much for them to climb though—in the 54th minute Jabloteh’s world cup duo of Aurtis Whitley and Anton Wolfe made it even more impossible—as Whitley displaying all his experience held up the ball, in the midst of three defenders, allowed Wolfe to run in position, he then calmly threaded the ball through, straight onto the feet of Wolfe and the in-form striker did the rest—Jabloteh now almost sure of taking away maximum points.
North East pulled one more goal back in the 62nd with a strike from Akeno Morgan—but it was too little too late—Jabloteh running away 4-2 winners, recording their 6th consecutive victory—and getting sweet revenge over North East for the 1-0 defeat they suffered when the teams met earlier in the season.
In the first game of the double header in Arima—Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA Fire also came away with an impressive 4-2 win over Superstar Rangers.
The game went back and forth—but Kareem Joseph’s double (23rd +55th) made sure for the ‘Men from Morvant’. It was 2-2 at the half—with Rangers getting goals from Fabien Gomez in the 40th and Lorne Joseph in the 45th. But Caledonia striker Kendall Jagdeosingh sprung to life in the second half and scored a beauty in the 50th minute to shut down any chance of a Rangers fight back.
‘Connection slip up again’
Up at the Ato Boldon Stadium, in the feature match of another thrilling double-header—the defending champions W Connection lost some further ground in the race to reclaim their League title—the ‘Savonatta Boys’ went down 3-2 to Joe Public—their 2nd loss this season to the ‘Eastern Lions’.
All the action took place in the first half, with Public taking an early lead in the 6th minute through Wolry Wolfe—but Connection struck back like true champions with items from Atiba Charles and Andrei Pacheco in the 22nd and 28th minutes respectively.
But it was not to be for Stuart Charles Fervier and his men, as the ‘Lions’ came roaring back with goals from Sean Power and Gary Glasgow in the 33rd and 40th minutes.
Connection unable to break down Joe Public in the 2nd half, as they went in desperate search for an equalizer.
Meanwhile, in the earlier game Starworld Strikers showed their dominance over Tobago United as they came away 4-1 winners—Randolph Jerome, Nigel Hart, Marc Borde and Darren Matthews all getting on the score sheet for Strikers—Tobago’s lone item came three minutes from time with a strike from Noel Williams.
Down South at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground—Odelle Armstrong salvaged a 1-1 draw for the hapless Defence Force against United Petrotrin—the ‘Oilmen’ took a 30th minute lead thanks to a Brent Garcia goal—but in the 89th minute Armstrong leveled the scores.
Pro-League Resutls.
Superstar Rangers 2 (Fabian Gomez 40, Lorne Joseph 45) v Caledonia AIA 4 (Kareem Joseph 23, 55, Devon Modeste 34, Kendal Jagdeosingh 50).
San Juan Jabloteh 4 (Jason Marcano 9, Wendell Joseph 12, Charles Pollard own goal-19, Anthony Wolfe 54) v North East Stars 2 (Marvin Oliver 45, Akeno Morgan 62).
Starworld Strikers 4 (Randolph Jerome 10, Nigel Hart 15, Marc Borde 35, Darren Matthews 56) v Tobago United 1 (Noel Williams 87).
W Connection 2 (Atiba Charles 22, Andrei Pacheco 28) v Joe Public 3 (Wolry Wolfe 6, Seon Power 33, Gary Glasgow 40).
United Petrotrin 1 (Brent Garcia 30) v Defence Force 1 (Odelle Armstrong 89).
