Earl Jean gives Connection 1-0 win over Rangers.
By: Jovan Ravello (ttproleague).
Vibe CT 105 W Connection registered its first win of the Lucozade Sport Big Six competition, a 1-0 victory over Superstar Rangers at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
Connection went ahead in the 38th minute when captain Earl Jean met Gefferson Goulart’s cross in the six-yard box, and his volley bounced past Shurland Awai on its way to the back of the net.
The experienced Connection pair however had a torrid time getting it right in the early stages of the match.
In the 12th minute William Da Silva Oliviera registered the game’s first shot, meeting Ronaldo Viana’s low free-kick on top the ‘18’ with a stiff well-placed shot that Awai did well to get to and deny the left-footed Brazilian.
Connection, who warmed up for the match with a friendly against Guyana on Wednesday, won another free-kick after a Rangers defender parried Viana’s attempted chip into the box.
Silvio Spann, playing his first match since returning to the “Savonetta Boys”, took responsibility for the set piece and was unlucky to see his blistering shot saved by Awai.
The Rangers goalkeeper was having a stellar match and despite the eventual result would be his team’s champion on the evening.
In the 25th minute Jean picked up Viana’s through ball on the right flank, but failed to cross the ball to either of Goulart or George Isaac who were open in the Rangers area.
Four minutes later Goulart returned the favour, with Jean in the box, he chose to go it alone only for Awai to come up with yet another fine save, getting down low to put the ball into touch.
Connection’s slick passing, anchored in the middle by the Soca/Samba combination of Spann and Goulart, pinned Rangers back forcing them almost exclusively into a long ball counter-attack strategy that never really looked like bearing fruit against the Connection back line.
Connection on the other hand would go about their business the only way they know how.
Jean’s 38th minute strike proved to be the last major incident of the first half.
Nevertheless, the action resumed in the 48th minute, Goulart could have made it 2-0, but his shot was scrambled away, however Viana returned the ball to his feet and he almost redeemed himself but the sprawling Awai was on spot again.
In the very next minute Jean’s shot off Oliviera’s cross was tipped over by the acrobatic Awai.
Rangers had its best chance of the game as Sean Christmas played a flat cross to Errol Mc Farlane in the Connection box but with the goal at his mercy the St. Anns captain could not add the finishing touch to the move instead saw his sliding effort go well overbar.
The chance showed that Rangers was coming into its own in the match and they indeed began to earn a larger stake of the ball possession in the middle of the park.
Christon Thomas, a 54th minute substitute for Kevin Williams, completed a good series of Rangers passes with a rash volley that failed to give Connection keeper Jan Michael Williams, fresh off national duty in Vienna, anything to do.
Awai, who should be paid overtime for his effort on the evening, again showed great agility with a pair of saves to deny Goulart and Kern Cupid in the 62nd and 63rd minutes.
Andre Toussaint was introduced for Issac in the 75th minute and almost had an immediate impact as another sub Andrei Pacheco, who replaced Spann in the same minute, lofted a pass into his path.
Toussaint laid it off for Goulart who squared the ball to Viana but the resulting shot just lacked accuracy and flew past Awai’s post.
Elijah Joseph almost gifted Rangers an equalizer after intercepting Mc Farlane’s cross but would have been relieved to see the ball crash out off the base of the post in the 83rd minute.
Brenton De Leon, on for Goulart in the 87th, blew past three Rangers defenders before sending a cross to an unmarked Toussaint in the 90th minute but the national striker, who also made the trip to Austria, headed the ball wide despite having the time and space to do better.
The final whistle meant that Connection could exhale having just escaped from a contest they had every right to win comfortably.
The ‘Savonetta Boys’ moving to 4 points and joint 2nd with Caledonia on the ‘Big Six’ table—but the ‘Couva Men’ also move within one point of leaders Joe Public on the league table—after the ‘Eastern Lions’ went under 1-0 to Jabloteh.
Teams
W Connection:[/b] - Jan Michael Williams, William Da Silva Oliviera, Gefferson Goulart (Brenton De Leon 87th), Kern Cupid, Elijah Joseph, Ronaldo Viana, Earl Jean, George Isaac (Andre Toussaint 75th), Christopher Harvey, Nickcolson Thomas, Silvio Spann (Andrei Pacheco 75th).
Coach: Stuart Charles Fevrier
Superstar Rangers: - Shurland Awai, Dean Pacheco, Colin Roberts, Lorne Joseph, Kevon Williams (Christon Thomas 54th), Kerwyn Jemmott, Jason Eastman, Shem Mc Farlane (Marlon Bowen 67th), Errol Mc Farlane, Don Morris, Milton Fabian Correa Gomez.
Coach: Anthony Streete
W Connection v Superstar Rangers
1 Goals 0
8 Shots on Target 2
5 Corners 4
3 Offsides 2
3 Yellow Cards 4
0 Red Cards 0
12 Fouls 9
Mc Farlane blames poor luck for Big Six results.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).[/size]
Superstar Rangers stumbled to a 1-0 loss against Vibe CT 105 W Connection on Saturday and succumbed to their second Lucozade Sport Big Six defeat loss in as many matches making it almost impossible for a comeback with just three matches left.
Rangers Captain Errol Mc Farlene spoke with ‘ttproleague.com’ and blames poor luck for his team’s results, “If you really look at the games it was just bad luck for us in our two Big Six matches, first against Jabloteh a lack of concentration in the late half by our team caused them to score. In the next match, which was against W Connection, they scored early but the second half we regrouped and had a better game creating a number of opportunities but the ball just didn’t want to go into the net. We are a great team and just went through a bit of bad luck in this competition,” said the former national player.
With the League out of Rangers sights and the Lucozade Sport Big Six looking the same way Mc Farlane believes all is not lost for the St Anns based team, “We are still looking to end the season on a credible note by winning our last three matches and there is some money still to be won in the Big Six, so all is not lost for us.”
“We don’t know what would happen in the Big Six with three matches to go, so we should just be focusing on winning these matches and see what happens to the leading teams.”
“We are currently sixth on the League and this not bad seeing it’s our first season at this level. We have had a great Toyota Classic campaign getting past the bigger clubs and reaching the final, so I can say we have done well. I am sure we have learned a lot this season and would have bigger and better season next year,” ended the Rangers captain. Rangers next meet league leaders Joe Public on Saturday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
