Connection clinches Big Six in Macoya stalemate.
By: Gordon Pierre (ttproleague).[/size]
W Connection got their first hold on the Lucozade Big Six title when they finished with 11 points after a 1-1 draw against Joe Public at the Marvin Lee Stadium on Tuesday.
Joe Public finishing their 2007 season second with 57 points in the League, five behind winners San Juan Jabloteh.
However it was the ‘Eastern Lions’ in their frantic efforts to retain their TT Pro League title opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Terrance Mc Allister met a curling Silas Spann freekick and flicked it pass Marvin Phillip in goal for W Connection to make the scores 1-0.
Connection had the first real chance at goal in the 10th minute when young import Jonathan Frias turned on national defender Keyeno Thomas but his powerful shot was wide.
The goal seemed to spur Connection to life and they started to apply pressure on the Joe Public defence.
The pressure would pay off in the 31st minute when Connection captain Earl Jean finished expertly after being fed a beautifully timed pass by Hughton Hector to level the scores at 1-1.
Both teams made changes before the half with Connection introducing Andre Toussaint for the injured Jose Luiz Seabra and Joe Public adding the experience Arnold Dwarika for the young Tobagian Devon Leacock.
Just before the half David Atiba Charles had an opportunity to give Connection the lead but his powerful downward header was straight into the hands Jacomeno Barrett as the scores remained tied at the break.
Although both teams started the game in a winning attitude—W Connection after the Big Six and Joe Public a slight chance of retaining their league title—at a break neck pace with great inter passing and ball movement by both teams, the second period ended disappointingly horrible.
The final ten minutes was spectacle that left the fans present with a sour taste in their mouths. It seemed that both teams were informed of Jabloteh likely victory over Caledonia for the League title and Joe Public resorted to the negative tactic of knocking the ball in their defensive third and Connection instead of pressuring for a win, withdrew and took up a defensive formation for the entire final ten minutes of the game.
In the second half the tackles were fast and furious with both teams targeting the breakpoint.
But it was W Connection’s substitute Andre Toussaint who missed a golden opportunity in the 55th minute to put his team ahead when he found himself on the end of a miss clearance by Public keeper Jacomeno Barrett only to shoot wide.
One minute later a desperate last ditch tackle by Atiba Charles deflected a shot by Arnold Dwarika onto the crossbar after the Joe Public player was given room above the area.
With the two teams looking for the go ahead goal the crowd was feasted to end to end action and in the 57th diminutive striker Jonathan Frias showed some good skill when he turned Seon Power but his shot was parried by an alert Barrett in goal.
Five minutes later left back Kelvin Modeste made a beautiful overlapping run but could only direct his shot into the side netting.
In the 75th minute Coach Michael Mc Commie made what looked like two offensive substitutions bring on Reon Nelson and Kendall Davis but that was to be the last attacking play by either side as soon after both teams seemed to have settled for the drawn result.
The crowd on hand was subjected to ten minutes of footballing horror in the end as neither team seemed interested in attacking the other goal.
The result ensured that W Connection were crowned the 2007 Lucozade Sport Big Six champions, their third title of the 2007 season and Joe Public finishing a creditable second, dethroned by San Juan Jabloteh in the League.
Teams
Joe Public:[/b] — Jacomeno Barrett, Dale Saunders (capt), Terrance Mc Allister, Kerry Noray, Kerry Baptiste, Devon Leacock (Arnold Dwarika), Kendall Jagdeosingh (Kendall Davis),Seon Power, Gregory Richardson, Keyeno Thomas, Silas Spann.
W Connection: — Marvin Phillip, Earl Jean (capt), Elijah Joseph, Jose Luiz Seabra (Andre Toussaint), Ronaldo Viana (Kern Cupid), Clyde Leon, Nickcolson Thomas, Kelvin Modeste, Hughton Hector, Atiba Charles, Jonathan Frias.
Army finishes second best in Big Six.
By: Gordon Pierre (ttproleague).[/size]
After an impressive run through the middle of the 2007 TT Pro League season, Defence Force FC were only good enough to finish second best in the Lucozade Sport Big Six and fifth overall in the League.
The Army/Coast Guard unit were held 2-2 by a determined North East Stars in their final match of the 2007 season at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Tuesday night.
Defence Force finished with 9 points on the Big Six table, two points behind winners W Connection. In the League the Kerry Jamerson coached side finished with 51 points, eleven points behind League winners San Juan Jabloteh.
But the ‘Soldiers’ will have themselves to shoot after holding a 2-1 advantage at the half, with Richard Roy opening the scoring in the 12th minute and Devon Jorsling adding the other in the 45th minute against the Sangre Grande based side.
North East Stars’ Guyanese forward Randolph Jerome had equalised the score 1-1 in the 43rd minute before the second item by the ‘Soldiers’.
North East Stars Kevin Jeffrey made sure of a not so bad result for the James Mc Lean coached side in their last outing, wrapping up the scoring in the 52nd minute for a 2-2 finish.
The ‘Grande Stars’ finished sixth in the League with 44 points, Defence Force in fifth, Caledonia in fourth behind W Connection with a better goals difference both with 55 points, defending League champs Joe Public in second with 57 and 2007 Champions San Juan Jabloteh at the helm with 62 points.
Defence Force posted impressive results in their Lucozade Sport Big Six matches beating Caledonia AIA and Joe Public with 1-0 scores and holding W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh to 1-1 and 0-0 finishes respectively.
