Jabloteh pummel Tobago United.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Ex-Pro League champs make move.
Four wins on the trot and an emphatic 5-1 victory over Tobago United yesterday evening should help dispel any trace of self-doubt within the ranks of former T&T Pro League champions, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, when they face Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA on Saturday afternoon.
There was much speculation of resurgence in Tobago recently but little evidence of it at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar yesterday as Jabloteh made light work of their opponent's naive backline.
Jabloteh, who were second at kick off, were four goals ahead by the interval and, although coach Terry Fenwick was obliged to discuss the remaining 45 minutes, his mind might easily have strayed to the weekend's top of the table clash against Caledonia.
It was at the same Malabar venue that the English coach endured a nightmare start to the season as Caledonia spanked Jabloteh 3-0 on April 14 and Antiguan striker Peter Byers made a nightmare debut to his Trinidad and Tobago career with a red card after just 30 minutes. East Trinidad did not seem so unfriendly to either foreigner yesterday.
True, Tobago did open the scoring after just five minutes. Kayode Legall headed home from a pinpoint Jemmiel Smith left side cross for his fourth goal in as many matches.
But Legall's supposed statement of intent seemed lost on his own teammates and, in particular, the Tobago defence.
Trent Noel equalised, four minutes later, after working a give and go with Atullah Guerra and Jabloteh were ahead by the 15th minute as Byers collected a deep pass from Ronald Primus before burying to the left of Tobago goalkeeper Andrew Durant.
There was a hint of offside in Byers' item but Tobago did themselves no favours by persistently failing to abide by the golden rule of the offside trap--a high defence is impotent without tackling midfielders.
Byers and Jason Marcano notched two more Jabloteh goals by converting well-timed passes through the heart of the Tobago defence, while Byers barged past two defenders for his hat-trick a minute before the break.
If it were a boxing match, Tobago coach Peter Granville would have pleaded "no mas" and taken his exit then and there.
Jabloteh lost focus at the restart, though, and failed to add to their guest's humiliation. Tobago captain Warren Phillips inadvertently smacked the ball off his own bar in the 65th minute while Jabloteh substitute Cornell Glen hit an upright in the 82nd minute. But the healthy scoreline might have satisfied Fenwick.
It is the first occasion that a Pro League team has scored five times in a single match so far this season while the win matched a four-goal aggregate triumph for Caledonia against Police on May 16. There is that Caledonia team again.
The "Eastern Stallions" played last night against fourth-placed Vibe CT 105 W. Connection and needed a win to keep ahead of Jabloteh on goal differential.
Either way, Jabloteh can create some daylight space at the top of the Pro League standings if they managed to save some firepower for the weekend.
San Juan Jabloteh: - Daurance Williams, Dwayne Jack, Karlon Murray (Akil Harley), Trent Noel (Devon Jamerson), Aurtis Whitley, Atullah Guerra (Cornell Glen), Elton John, Jason Marcano, Ian Gray, Peter Byers, Ronald Primus.
Tobago United: - Andrew Durant, Kayode Legall, Warren Phillips, Tichard Joseph, Uriah Palmer, Jamal Jack, Kevin Adams, Keon Samuel, Kerron Phillips, Julio Fernandez, Jemmiel Smith (Handel Mnaswell).
Defence Force & North East Stars continued to climb.
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian).[/size]
Defence Force and Economy North East Stars continued their climb up the table with comfortable wins.
At the Hasley Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Defence Force got goals from Devon Jorsling, Corey Rivers and Richard “Shaka” Roy in a 3-0 shut-out of faltering United Petrotrin.
Jorsling opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he side-footed in a Kevon Carter right-sided cross that managed to sneak under the foot of Petrotrin defender Devon Drayton.
Rivers made it 2-0 one minute before the interval when he latched on to a Jorsling pass and stroked the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal past the advancing Perry Martin.
Roy made certain of all three points for the “Teteron Boys” in the 78th minute when he outmuscled his way past a weak Drayton screen and toe-poked the ball into the roof of the net past a stranded Martin.
In the first match at Couva, Randolph Jerome (ninth), Kendall Velox (26th) and Kendall Jagdeosingh (80th) were all on target for Stars in the win over Police. Superstar Rangers hosted defending champions bmobile Joe Public in the second match at Mucurapo last night lost 3-0 to the Estern Lions, a double from Gary Glasgow and one from in-form Kerry Baptiste was enough to sink Superstar Rangers.
Antiguan Peter Byers continued his good form in front of goal when he scored a first-half hat-trick in CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh’s 5-1 come-from-behind win over Tobago United at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, yesterday.
But the win did not look to be on the cards early on as Tobago handed Jabloteh an early set back in its bid to gain sole possession of the lead on the table when Kayode Legall opened the scoring in the sixth minute.
Jabloteh did not panic and got back on level terms in the 10th minute through national midfielder Trent Noel, while Byers put his team ahead for good seven minutes later.
The Tobagonians were still in the match at 2-1 down, but that quickly changed as Byers extended the lead to 3-1 in the 35th minute before Elton John (44th) and Byers netted on the stroke of half-time for a 5-1 cushion.
On the resumption, Jabloteh with its handsome lead, took its foot off the pedal while holding the Tobago United players at bay to register win number two from as many meetings between the two clubs in four days.
With the win, Jabloteh improved to 23 points from 10 matches, three ahead of Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA, who came up against Vibe CT 105 W Connection in a late match at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
Joe Public: — Alejandro Figueroa, Gary Glasgow, Devon Caseman, Dale Saunders (capt), Lyndon Andrews, Jason Springer, Kerry Baptiste (Gregory Richardson), Kwame Wiltshire (Arnold Dwarika), Nigel Pierre (Kayode Mc Kinnon), Seon Power, Lyndon Harris.
Superstar Rangers: — Shane Mattis, Coneal Thomas, Christon Thomas (Shem Mc Farlane), Todd Ryan, Joseph Peters, Nigel Henry, Josimar Belgrave, Devon Modest, Dean Pacheco (Milton Gomez), Elijah Belgrave (Errol Mc Farlane).
Defence Force: - Kevin Graham, Anton Pierre (capt) Keston Williams (Anton Joseph 64th), Michael Edwards, David Alleyne, Corey Rivers, Kevon Carter (Keshawn Theodore 82nd) Sean Narcis (Dexter Pacheco 78th), Akil Edwards, Richard Roy, Devon Jorsling.
United Petrotrin: - Perry Martin, Larry Bacchus (Shavon Frederick 71st), Devon Drayton, Romauld Aguillera, Kelvin Hernandez (Simeon Augustus 34th), Keon Daniel, Marlon Lewis (Andre Alexis 63rd), Sylvester Teesdale, Husani Thomas, Peter Prosper, Kevon Rouse.
Full Results
0 Police F.C. v North East Stars 3, Ato Boldon Stadium
Randolph Jerome (9') 0-1
Kendall Velox (26') 0-2
Kendall Jagdeosingh (80') 0-3
1 W Connection vs Caledonia AIA 2, Ato Boldon Stadium
Kevin Nelson (26') 1-0
Marvin Oliver (57'), 1-1
Kareem Joseph (85') 1-2
3 Defence Force v United Petrotrin 0, Hasely Crawford
Devon Jorsling (16') 1-0
Corey Rivers (45) 2-0
Richard Roy (78') 3-0
1 Tobago United v San Juan Jabloteh, 5 Dwight Yorke
Kayode Legall (6') 1-0
Trent Noel (10) 1-1
Peter Byers (17') 1-2
Peter Byers (35') 1-3
Elton John (44') 1-4
Peter Byers (45') 1-5
3 Joe Public v Superstar Rangers 0, Centre of Excellence
Kerry Baptiste (38') 1-0
Gary Glasgow (41') 2-0
Gary Glasgow (84') 3-0
