North East take another scalp.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Public see Stars
At roughly five-foot-three, former Trinidad and Tobago international footballer Clint Marcelle is accustomed to punching above his weight. In his playing days, Marcelle scored a historic strike for English club, Barnsley, that took the tiny, unheralded North East England outfit into the bright lights of the English Premier League.
There seems to still be more than a touch of the old dragon slayer in the 39-year-old Marcelle as he led Economy North East Stars to a 2-0 Pro League win over Bmobile Joe Public on Tuesday night at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
The victory topped a four match unbeaten streak for Stars, that included wins over W. Connection and Neal & Massy Caledonia, since owner Darryl Mahabir swapped former boss Ken Elie for Marcelle.
Mahabir's sacking of Elie looked premature at the time but there will be little grumbling from North East Stars' supporters as the Sangre Grande-based team continued to cruise up the standings. They were fifth on Tuesday night although Caledonia would match their points total and boast a better goal differential if they defeated Tobago United in Bacolet last night.
Stars were bottom of the table when Marcelle took over in May. They have not lost a league match since.
Marcelle's coaching career has barely started but, thus far, his work looks like a model in revitalizing a team with only minor surgery.
The burly Kester Cornwall was replaced up front with the more nimble and direct approach play of Sean Cooper, while midfielder Kevin Jeffreys, once a notable US A' League striker, was asked to orchestrate the rear as a sweeper and 2006 World Cup squad member Anthony Wolfe was given the armband. Colombian midfielder Militia Espitia was also recruited.
Those are the bits that are easily spotted from the media booth. But the sharp exchange of passes and the air of confidence going forward and in the tackle suggests that a lot more has happened on the training ground as well.
Joe Public were not at their best. Versatile attacker Kerry Baptiste was anonymous while the pace of Guyanese striker Gregory Richardson was conspicuous by its absence.
But that should not detract from a stellar North East performance on the night.
If there was any doubt as to the extent of their improvement, Wolfe erased it with a fine opener after 31 minutes.
Cooper, who was released by Public in the pre-season, produced a fine reaction save from opposing goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa but the capable Colombian custodian had no response to Wolfe's rasping half volley, from the edge of the area, which flew home to his left.
The "Eastern Lions" had healthy servings of ball possession but rarely troubled Stars goalkeeper Tristan Charles and it was the Sangre Grande boys who struck again with an even better goal, 11 minutes into the second half.
Espitia and Akeil Guevara figured prominently in a flowing Stars move before Linsie Sherwood applied the finish with a precise curling effort into the far corner. Connection boss Stuart Charles-Fevrier, an advocate of the passing game, would have been proud of his former assistant coach.
Public huffed but could not breach Stars' solid centre while their wing play was too timid to concern the opposing defence.
Baptiste produced a sharp save from Charles in the closing minutes but Stars might have been three goals clear by then as Wolfe just missed the top right hand corner with a free kick.
The Pro League goes on break today so as to facilitate Trinidad and Tobago's international friendlies against El Salvador and Honduras on July 8 and 10 respectively. A halt on domestic competition seems to be the best way to stop Stars' momentum at the moment, although present leaders and defending champions, Clico San Juan Jabloteh, are a close second.
The Stars face Jabloteh when league action resumes on July 12. Marcelle is unlikely to be shaking in his boots.
