Defence Force are holding hostage the 2012-2013 Digicel Pro League Championship following a 3-0 win over Central FC at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Friday night and enjoys a 7 point lead with just two match days remaining.
League leading goalscorer Devorn Jorsling (19 goals) scored twice in the first half and once in the second to rescue the Soldiers after losing defensive midfielder Keston Williams to a direct red card from referee Neil Brizan just seventeen minutes into the match following a tackle on Jason Marcano.
And in the first match of a Round Three Match Day Five double header at the Couva venue, last season’s champions DIRECTV W Connection hammered T&TEC FC 4-0.
Connection (32 points), still with a thin mathematical chance of a second position finish, moved back into third on the standings and ahead of North East Stars (41 points) which faces St. Ann’s Rangers on Saturday from 7pm at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
Jerrel Britto fired the Stuart Charles Fevrier-coached Connection ahead just nine minutes into the match after he collected a through-ball by Kurt Frederick inside the area and made no mistake firing past T&TEC rookie goalkeeper Tevin Archer.
The Couva based club was 2-0 up by the 35th minute when Joevin Jones confidently placed a free-kick over the wall and goalkeeper Archer from just outside the area.
And two minutes later Surinamese striker Stefano Rijssel made it 3-0 by hooking a left footed strike into the far netting as Connection dominated the cellar positioned T&TEC which they defeated 7-0 in Round One and 3-1 in Round Two.
It only took Connection a minute into the second half and Jomal Williams notched his side’s fourth item by completing a play which involved Christian Viveros and Hashim Arcia for the comfortable 4-0 score.
Influential midfielder Jones missed out on his second by inches in the 49th minute when his curling effort from the right crashed onto the upright to the delight of T&TEC.
The ‘Electric Boys’ meantime only had a red card sending off of forward Sylvester Teesdale in the 70th minute for dissent which referee Rodphin Harris.
And in the second game on the night Jorsling demanded the League trophy after completing his hattrick on the night.
The Defence Force ace forward blasted his team ahead in the 34th minute with a left footed strike off a Jemel Sebro cross following a mix-up by Omar Charles and Carey Harris on the left, defeating goalkeeper Marvin Phillip for a 1-0 score.
Central FC coach Terry Fenwick responded by replacing Charles with Weslie John four minutes later, but it was from that change that Defence Force won a penalty before the break.
Just two minutes on the pitch and it was ruled by referee Brizan that John bundled Jorsling to the ground when a cross from the right was played in.
Jorsling then buried the penalty his strike down the middle to beat Phillip a second time four minutes before the half and a 2-0 cushion.
Defence Force goalkeeper Kevin Graham did his part also on the rare occasions he was called to action.
In the 50th minute Central FC striker Peter Byers was denied by Graham who palmed the Antiguan’s effort out for a corner, and from the resulting play the Army goalie thwarted a diving header by Marvin Oliver.
Graham pulled off another save in the 58th minute, gloving over-bar a lofted 45 yard free-kick by Marcano as Central struggled to claw themselves back into the game against the 10-man Defence Force.
Disaster followed when in the 67th minute Brizan awarded the Soldiers a freekick inside the area after ruling that Phillip collected a back pass by defender Keion Goodridge.
Central had all its players packed at the goalmouth, however that didn’t stop a stinger by Jorsling which placed the ball in the back of the net in the 69th minute for a 3-0 Army score.
Soon afterwards the Sharks lost enraged goalkeeper Phillip to a red card for dissent in his protest to referee Brizan.
Byers was quick to don Phillip jersey and tucked himself in goal, and only had his crossbar rattled in injury time when substitute Ross Russell Jr. tested the Antiguan from distance.
In the end it was victory for Army assistant coach Marvin Gordon, serving as caretaker in absence of Head Coach Ross Russell currently in Panama serving as goalkeeper coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Under 17 Team for the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
And surely for Jorsling and company, they are claiming the 2012-2013 Digicel Pro League Championship as theirs to keep, but not until second positioned Caledonia AIA says so.
Caledonia (36 points), now trailing the leaders by 7 points will tackle Police FC from 5pm on Saturday in the first match of a Round Three Match Day Five double header at the Marvin Lee Stadium and needs a win to keep its mathematical chance alive.
Defence Force and Caledonia league matches projection
- Defence Force vs (W Connection 3 May), (T&TEC FC 10 May)
- Caledonia AIA vs (Police FC Saturday 6 April), (Central FC Friday 3 May), (St. Ann’s Rangers Saturday 11 May)
Results
T&TEC FC 0—4 W Connection
Jerrel Britto 9’, Joevin Jones 35’, Stefano Rijssel 37’, Jomal Williams 46’
Defence Force 3—0 Central FC
Devorn Jorsling 34’, 41’, 69’
Teams
T&TEC FC—Tevin Archer, Brent Garcia (capt.), Keeron Benito (Husani Thomas 69th), Larry Bacchus (Eustace Darius 46th), Cebastian Bailey, Sylvester Teesdale (Red Card), Daniel Garcia (Nathaniel Garcia 46th), Tigana Sparks, Simeon Augustus, Akiniyel Rouse, Antuan John.
Coach—Dexter Cyrus.
W Connection—Alejandro Figueroa, Joevin Jones (capt.) (Tremain Shayn Paul 70th), Elijah Joseph, Gerrard Williams (Clyde Leon 65th), Hashim Arcia, Leslie Joel Russell, Christian Viveros (Alvin Jones 60th), Stefano Rijssel, Jomal Williams, Jerrel Britto, Kurt Frederick.
Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier.
Teams
Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt.), Keston Williams (Red Card 17), Devin Jordan (Dexter Pacheco 82nd), Curtis Gonzales (Yellow Card), Devorn Jorsling (Jamal Goodridge 87th), Kevon Carter, Jerwyn Balthazar, Sean Narcis, Rodell Elcock (Yellow Card), Jemel Sebro (Ross Russell Jr. 75th).
Unused substitutes: 25.Sheldon Clarke, 12.Josimar Belgrave, 16.Kerry Joseph, 22.Ronald St Louis.
Coach—Marvin Gordon.
Central FC—Marvin Phillip (capt.) (Red Card 69), Keion Goodridge, Omar Charles (Weslie John 38th - Red Card 86), Hayden Tinto, Marvin Oliver, Darryl Trim (Johan Peltier 57th), Jason Marcano (Cyrano Glen 59th), Peter Byers, Carey Harris, Adrian Noel, Darren Mitchell.
Unused substitutes: Shane Mattis, Marc Leslie, Hector Sam, Rennie Britto.
Coach—Terry Fenwick.