Rangers, Connection draw; Police lose.
By: Jovan Ravello (Guardian).
The teams that hold the top three positions on the Sportworld Super League table had some difficulty getting points out of their eighth round matches yesterday.
Table-toppers Police barely managed to hold on to the lead wrested from Superstar Rangers on Wednesday as they fell 2-1 to Joe Public.
In the afternoon’s only match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Police played intelligently in the midfield and a got a dream start in the second minute of the game.
Kareem Joseph was released down the left side by a long ball out of defence and while the Joe Public defence struggled to deal with his pace, Police captain Jason Boodram slipped into the area and headed in Joseph’s pinpoint cross at the far post.
As both teams settled into the match, Public became increasingly assertive going forward and got the breakthrough in the 10th minute after winning a corner-kick.
The initial clearance of Public’s driven corner from the left side prevented a chance on goal but fell to Wolry Wolfe whose first touch set up Dale Saunders’ well placed shot from the edge of the area to the left of Anthony Marshall, in goal for Poilce.
With the scores level play became increasingly physical and in the 24th minute Wendell Joseph was carded for a rough tackle on Wolfe who eventually picked himself up to play a hand in public’s second goal and the eventual game winner.
Wolfe’s low cross into the Police area was prodded across to Brazillian Leandro Moncao who made no mistake as he put the ball back across Marshall’s goal and into the lower right corner of the net.
Police retorted with a swift counter attack and Boodram was unlucky to not bring his team level as he watched his shot beat Public custodian Jacomenco Barnett but came off the crossbar, the rebound fell to Wendell Joseph but, with the ‘keeper at his mercy he steered his shot wide of the target, the second half yielded no goals.
At the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, second placed Crab Connection shred the points with third placed Rangers after the two teams struggled to a 2-2 draw.
Akudu Goodridge sought to make up for his poor showing in Rangers 3-2 loss to Angostura 1976 Phoenix on Wednesday and got the game’s opening goal in the 18th minute, Phoenix drew level in the 21st minute through Marvin Oliver and went aheadd in the 27th courtesy Warren Butler.
Goodridge salvaged a point for Rangers in the 63rd minute of the match to keep his team in the running to recapture its lead.
Central giants Couva Players United and PLIPDECO Caroni could not be separated and relied on late goals to come out of their match with a 2-2 draw at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
Couva’s Kevin Adams and Jason Marcano put them ahead 2-0 with goals inthe 61st and 69th minutes but Caroni fought its way back into the contest as Kevin Joseph and Ryan Dipsingh scored in the 76th and 88th minutes.
Stokely Vale beat Maraval Youth Academy 3-1 on goals from Kayode Legall (56th), Seon Christmas (86th) and Michael Codrington (88th) at the Trinity College ground, Moka.
And the WASA Clean and White versus Media 21 match at the WASA ground, St Joseph had to be postponed due to a waterlogged field. Matches continue on Wednesday.
Yesterday's News
Police pip Stokely Vale to take NSL lead
By: Jovan Ravello (Guardian)
After two rounds of nipping at the feet of the table-toppers Superstar Rangers, Police took leadership of the Sportworld National Super League on Wednesday.
The policemen stretched their unbeaten streak to seven matches with a 2-1 win over Stokely Vale at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago, while Rangers went under 2-3 to Angostura 1976 Phoenix at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
After three rounds of matches Phoenix stood second in the standings, behind Rangers, but the limbs of the law went on a slump before returning to form against the team from St Ann’s.
Wednesday’s results led to Police replacing Rangers at the top of the table with 19 points and Rangers falling to third in the standings with 16 points—one less than second-placed Crab Connection, with 17.
Connection drew 2-2 with PLIPDECO Caroni on the San Juan Senior Comprehensive School’s ground in Bourg Malatresse, Santa Cruz.
The Joe Public renaissance continued as the champ side overran Media 21 on the way to a 4-1 win—the teaaam’s fourth victory of the current campaign, following a disappointing start.
Today, Rangers will be bidding to reclaim the lead but their match against Connection at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Tunapuna, from 4 pm will not be a Sunday-afternoon stroll.
Police meet Joe Public at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and, on the basis of both teams’ records in the build-up to the fixture, it should produce a great contest.
Phoenix will be home to M&M Harvard at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago. The giant-killing footballers from the sister isle bared their spurs to the rest of the league and Harvard would do well to come out of the with all of a share of the points.
At the bottom of the table with a solitary point, Stokely Vale come up against the indifferent Maraval Youth Academyfootballers, who have earned only four points so far.
Playing on the Trinity College ground at Moka, the league’s under-achievers are expected to go at it vigorously in the hope of improving their position in the standings.
A clash of central Trinidad giants Caroni and Couva Players United at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, from 4 pm may separate the teams, who are tied in mid-table with eight points each.
At home to Media 21, WASA Clean and White seem set to break into the league’s top tier with a win over the visitors who have only one point—just above the cellar place.
Today’s Super League fixtures
Maraval Youth Academy vs Stokely Vale at Trinity College grounds, Maraval, 4 pm.
WASA Clean & White vs Media 21 at WASA grounds, St Joseph, 4 pm.
Angostura 1976 Phoenix vs M&M Harvard at Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago, 5 pm.
Plipdeco Caroni vs Couva Players United at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, 4 pm.
Joe Public vs Police at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 4 pm.
Crab Connection vs Superstar Rangers at Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, 4pm.
