Jabloteh sink Caledonia AIA.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).[/size]
"I am back!" replied Cornell Glen at a training session last week, when asked if he had recovered from an injury which sidelined him for most of last season and curtailed his Major League Soccer (MLS) contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States.
The Trinidad and Tobago striker has hardly kicked a ball since pulling up at the World Cup last June and subsequently re-injuring his hamstring during club play in the US. Allowing the healing process plenty time, Glen has played just a couple reserve matches in the T&T Pro League since signing with his old club, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, before getting his first start against bottom team Tobago United a week ago.
Terry Fenwick, Jabloteh's English coach, no doubt had plenty faith in his striker, tossing the 25-year-old into the biggest game of the season against league leaders Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA.
Only goal-difference separated the two heavyweights going into yesterday's top of-the table clash at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, until Glen slid in on Cyd Gray's free-kick giving Jabloteh the opening goal in the 20th minute.
It was that extra bit of pace which separated Glen and the opposing defenders to undo Caledonia. From the moment the ball left Gray's foot, Glen was on the move, having that extra second lead on his markers.
Before that, the importance of the game resulted in a nervous start by both teams, who showed more energy than enterprise on the moist surface.
T&T head coach Wim Rijsbergen was among the passionate handful that turned up to see Jabloteh have the first shout when a corner-kick sent the ball leaping up onto the hand of Cali's Abdullah Phillips. Accidental or not, it did not stop Jabloteh's penalty appeals, but referee Neil Brizan was giving nothing away easily without conclusive evidence on such a big occasion.
But, once ahead, Jabloteh had slight territorial advantage and Gray almost doubled their tally on the stroke of half-time, getting around goalkeeper Richard Reynold on the left flank, but failing to beat the sharp angle on the Caledonia goal.
Jabloteh's intensity never let up in the second half and in the opening moments, Peter Buyer, the Antiguan striker, broke on the left and only just cleared the bar with a powerful shot over the Caledonia goal. But in the 59th, Jason Marcano put Jabloteh into a 2-0 lead. Spotting keeper Reynold out his goal, Marcano struck a long-range shot which clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way into the goal.
Kerry Noray had the perfect chance to make Jabloteh pay for releasing him at the start of the season, when through on goal in the 65th, but the striker hit his shot onto the leg of Cleon John, the former Defence Force goalie. Caledonia had not had a better look at goal until that effort.
Finally, Lester Peltier came on for Glen and set up Buyer with a sitter, but it was too easy. Just four yards from an open goal, Buyer, the top scorer in the league, completely missed the ball. It must have brought loads of shame for the striker, who has been gaining a big reputation for his prowess in front of goal. In the end, it mattered little as Caledonia were knocked off the pinnacle they enjoyed for the first half of the season and Jabloteh are the new Pro League leaders.
San Juan Jabloteh: — Cleon John, Dwayne Jack, Carlon Murray, Cyd Gray, Ian Gray, Devon Jamerson, Khaleem Hyland, Atullah Guerra (Jason Cudjoe), Jason Marcano, Peter Byers (Elton John), Cornel Glen (Lester Peltier).
Caledonia AIA: — Richard Reynolds, Sheldon Emmanuel (Kerry Noray), Howard Lowe, Walter Moore, Leslie Holligan, Stephan David, Marvin Oliver, Abdullah Phillips (Hayden Tinto), Carlyle Mitchell, Shawn Bishop, Anthony Abrams (Kareem Joseph).
Yesterday's Pro League Results:
San Juan Jabloteh 2 (Cornell Glen 20, Jason Marcano 58) v Caledonia AIA 0.
Defence Force 1 (Christian Baptiste 5) v W Connection 2 (Atiba Charles 2, Shane Calderon 82).
United Petrotrin 0 v Joe Public 1 (Devon Caseman 42).
