Jabloteh hold their advantage.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).
Superstar Rangers may have lost more than just yesterday's T&T Pro League match, after their star midfielder Kerwin Jemmott was taken away with a shoulder injury just days before he was due to go on trial in Hungary.
Rangers were also on the wrong end of a 1-0 score yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, but made CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh work hard to maintain their uncomfortable lead in the T&T Pro League.
Rangers survived a shaky start, giving Jabloteh two early chances, including when their keeper Shane Mattis was stripped by Peter Byers, Jabloteh's Antigua striker, in the opening minutes.
Jabloteh were held at bay only momentarily, though, before going up 1-0 in the fifth minute when Khaleem Hyland put them in front, scoring with a low, hard drive from a central position at the top of the penalty area. Goalkeeper Mattis saw the shot coming, but only managed to get a fingertip on the ball.
Once ahead, Jabloteh did not create much else and it was Rangers who settled to play good football, without getting a decisive enough touch to get a goal. Somehow, their strikers Errol McFarlane Jr and Joseph Peters always seemed to be that vital inch away from the ball when in a threatening position. McFarlane, the league's top scorer, almost got Rangers level when he turned a corner-kick wide of the far post on the quarter-hour and it also took excellent work from goalie Cleon John to touch away Corneal Thomas' floater, which was headed towards left winger Josimar Belgrave at Jabloteh's far post.
Jabloteh, though, always maintained a presence in the first half. First, Byers strongly challenged a crossball before keeper Mattis collected the ball, and Jason Marcano also stung the Rangers keeper's fingers with a long-range shot.
Rangers chased the equaliser in the second half and were just inches away from pulling level in the 49th minute. Devon Modeste stuck a low shot past the dive of keeper John, but then saw the ball crash off the post. And later, Belgrave's free-kick also forced a save from the keeper.
As Rangers pressed for the equaliser, Byers had a couple of chances to further extend Jabloteh's lead. But he turned the ball over the advancing Rangers keeper after busting through the centre of goal in the 56th and later the Antiguan also flicked his shot off the crossbar.
Full Results
Caledonia AIA 1 (Anthony Abrams 80) v United Petrotrin 0.
Tobago United 1 (Collie Hercules 90-pen) v Defence Force 3 (Richard Roy 20, Christian Baptiste 48, Michael Edwards 87).
San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Khaleem Hyland 5) v Superstar Rangers 0.
Police F.C. 1 (Christopher Sam 36) v Joe Public 0.
W Connection 2 (Jonatan Farias 15, Gefferson Goulart 39) v North East Stars 3 (Kendall Velox 28, Randolph Jerome 32, 90).
