Rangers hold down Lions.
By: Gordon Pierre (ttproleague).[/size]
League leaders Joe Public were held to a 0-0 draw by a tenacious Superstar Rangers outfit in the second game of a TT Pro League double header at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Saturday.
Joe Public would count themselves lucky to have come away with a point, after Rangers squandered a number of easy chances in an attempt to upset the ‘Eastern Lions’.
In a Game that was high in action but low on enterprise. Both teams took sometime to settle, but it was Public who would have the first real scoring opportunity in the game in the 27th minute Carlos Gonzalez was sent through by a beautiful Arnold Dwarika pass, but his effort was thwarted by a brilliant last ditch tackle from Lorne Joseph.
The game continued at a frantic pace without any team creating any real scoring chances, when against the run of play in the 37th minute Errol Mc Farlane Jr rose to meet a cross from a left sided free kick that hit the upright.
Nearing the end of the first half Brazilian Jorge De Silva missed a golden opportunity to put Joe Public ahead when set up by a clever back heel from Gray Glasgow.
The half time talk by both coaches worked wonders, as the second half started enterprisingly with both teams coming close to scoring in the first 10 minutes of the half. Rangers had the first chance of the half, which fell to Kerwin "Hardest" Jemmott, playing in his first game for Rangers against his former club It was in the 47th minute, ‘Hardest’ struck wide. In the 50th Gary Glasgow headed over bar from 6 yards out. Two minutes later Arnold Dwarika had a clever chip cleared off the line by Milton Gomez after Rangers goalkeeper Shurland Awai dropped a routine cross.
After these early second half chances neither team created much scoring opportunities until the 79th minute when Christan Thomas sweetly struck shot from on top the 18 yard box bounced off the crossbar and back into play much to the disappointment of the Rangers fans and amidst protest from Rangers players that the ball had cross the line.
Two minutes later in the 81st the St Anns based team was almost made to pay dearly, but substitute Roen Nelson mis-kicked from inside the 6-yard box.
Rangers got their chance to steal a victory, when in the last play of the game, captain Mc Farlane hesitated and then shot wide after a mix-up between Joe Public’s defence and their skipper Dale Saunders left him unmarked and onside at the edge of the 6 yard box. In the end Joe Public held on for the draw to remain top of the table after San Juan Jabloteh loss to the Defence Force in the earlier game.
Teams
Joe Public[/b]—Aleajandro Figueroa, Jorge De Silva (66th Devon Caseman), Carlos Gonzales (55th Sean Cooper), Dale Saunders, Arnold Dwarika, Lyndon Andrews, Gray Glasgow, Adrian Mitchell, Abbassi Pherson, Seon Power, Terrance Mc Allister (66th Reon Nelson).
Superstar Rangers—Shurland Awai, Dean Pacheco, Colin Roberts, Lorne Joseph (68th Marlon Bowen), Kerwyn Jemmott, Kerwyn Cooper, Shem Mc Farlane (38th Todd Ryan), Errol Mc Farlane (captain), Milton Fabian Corren Gomez, Coneal Thomas, Christan Thomas.
