Connection pulls rabbit out of hat to steal late winner over Jabloteh.
By: James Saunders (ttproleauge).[/size]
It took a 90th minute winner from substitute Christian Almas for defending league champions W Connection to save a game that seemed destined to end in draw as the ‘Savonetta Boys’ edged rivals San Juan Jabloteh 1-0 at the Hasley Crawford Stadium.
Connection who were having a torrid time at the office must have been thanking their lucky stars after the match as coach Stuart Charles Fervier’s inspiring decision to bring on the Brazilian who had seen little action for the club this season.
In an uninspiring top of the table Big Six match-up on a chilly Tuesday evening in Mucarapo, the southerners who were without strikers Hughton Hector and Mathew Bartholomew never looked capable of troubling the scorers in a lackluster performance against a resolute Jabloteh outfit who seemed more determined to force a result.
Former National player Peter Prosper got the game rolling from as early as the 12th minute when he rose high above his markers to power one of his trademark headers against the Connection crossbar from a Kerry Baptiste cross.
Terry Fenwicks’ men continued to pile on the pressure but were denied twice at close range from an alert Jan Micheal-Williams in the southerners’ goal.
Jabloteh gradually seized the game out of the hands of a tame looking Connection side that seemed contented to poking the ball around uncomfortably in their own penalty area leaving their attackers to look on lustfully for a touch of the ball.
National defender Cyd Gray came close to adding to their misery in the 28th minute when his glancing header flashed narrowly wide of the far post.
The torment did not stop there for W Connection as Peter Prosper also headed wide in the 35th after a being picked out by a beautifully weighted Nigel Daniel cross from the left.
Prosper was the culprit moments later again, after one of his teammates forced Jan Micheal to dive low to his right to keep out a low drive, with the ball falling nicely into his path the striker only succeeded in skiing his attempt overbar.
After the interval Jabloteh picked up where they left off and in the 50th Jan Michael had to be alert to gather a Cyd Gray freekick on the second attempt.
‘The Savonetta Boys’ looked short of match form and their midfielders Goulart and Viana failed to combine effectively to produce anything of substance.
With the scores still level, the clock winding down and Jabloteh easing off the gas, Goulart unmarked just inside his opponents penalty area headed inches over the crossbar from a pinpoint right-sided Nickcolson Thomas cross in the 57th minute.
Connection showed that they were not to be counted out of the match in 59th when Andre Toussaint turned nicely on top of the area only to see his shot parried over the bar by an advancing Daurance Williams.
The southerners play improved in the latter stages of the game with the more mobile Christian Almas replacing Viana in midfield.
With time running out the substitute rewarded his coach in the 90th when against the run of play he met Andrei Pacheco’s probing cross and prodded the ball past Williams into the net to make it 1-0 in favour of Connection and snatch an unlikely winner at the death.
The 2006 League champions will have a mountain to climb however, if they are to retain their league title when they face current leaders Joe Public in the final match of the season on Saturday.
The ‘Eastern Lions posted a 4-2 win over ‘Cali’, and Connection will have to win by a wide margin if they are to knock the Lions off the top.
Final Score: W Connection, 1- San Juan Jabloteh, 0.
Scorer: Cristian Almas 90th.
Teams:
W Connection: - Jan Michael Williams, Gefferson Goulart (Kerron Smith), Elijah Joseph, Ronaldo Viana (Cristian Almas), Earl Jean (Silvio Spann), Andre Toussaint, Christopher Harvey, Nickcolson Thomas, George Isaac, Andrei Pacheco, Christian Viveros.
Coach: Stuart Charles-Fervier
San Juan Jabloteh: - Daurance Williams, Lester Peltier (Wendell Joseph), Trent Noel, Kerry Baptiste, Jason Marcano, Ian Gray, Nigel Daniel, Marcelle Francois, Peter Prosper (Akiel Guevara), Anthony Wolfe (Kerry Noray), Cyd Gray.
Coach: Terry Fenwick
Match Referee: Ishmeal Mohammed
W Connection v Jabloteh
1 Goals 0
3 Shots on Target 6
2 Corners 4
1 Offsides 1
1 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
17 Fouls 25
