Last night's TT Pro League Big Six match held at the Ato Boldon Stadium from 6:00 pm, pitted mighty CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh against determined rivals W.Connection. It was the final game of a long and ardous season for both teams and a fitting climax to the rivalry that has driven the TT Pro League to greater heights this year.
After having beaten Connection to win the prestigious TT Pro League Pro Bowl and the FA Cup, mighty Jabloteh was missing seven of its starting players. In the end those players were not necesssary, as Jabloteh emphatically 'needled' Connection with a classy 20 yard strike from Kerry Noray near the end of the first half.
Jabloteh fielded for the most part a team comprising most of its young players currently being weaned through the system.
Head coach Terry Fenwick's tactics were obvious on the night. He was not going to let Connection steamroll his young team. Jabloteh was going to attack and for 90+ minutes they did so, fearlessly and with great panache.
Interestingly, Fenwick started Jabloteh with six competent attacking players on the field. He surprisingly used two forwards in midfield alongside Kerry Baptiste who was the captain for the night.
Baptiste 'bossed' the game. His lightning quick forward runs with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet, unsettled the Connection defence time and time again.
Up front the Jabloteh forwards Kerry Noray, Nigel Codrington and Jason Marcano proved a handful for the Connection defenders sprawling and stretching them to the limit. There were hardly any 'route one' long ball plays. Penetrating runs were in abundance as the ball was kept on the turf most of the night. It was skilful exhibition by both teams in attack and defence to keep it that way.
Brian James kept goal brilliantly for Jabloteh. In the midfield Kerry Baptiste made the plays along with usual forwards Nicholas Addlery and Devon Mitchell, while at the back Keyeno Thomas, Nigel Daniel, Ronald Primus and Dexter Franklyn held the defence together.
Most interestingly, Jabloteh had only three players on the bench, one 16 year old, one 17 year old and one 20 year old - they were Terryl Elwyn, Michael Brown and Marcelle Francois respectively. They are part of Jabloteh's young brigade. They were all able to see action late in the game and did a good job finishing the match. Jabloteh fans should get used to their names because they seem destined to take the Pro League by storm next year.
In all Jabloteh were without seven of its old brigade of starters Aurtis Whitley, Angus Eve, Ian Gray, Cyd Gray, Trent Noel, Duarance Williams and Josh Johnson.
The MVP of the night was Keyeno Thomas. The Jabloteh centre back read the play so well that he seemed to be miles ahead of any other player on the field and literally towered head and shoulders above Connection's centre forward, the small but sprightly Earl Jean. He was always a few plays ahead and seemed to be everywhere.
Keyeno Thomas's game was so brilliant that members of the Jabloteh cheering section were shouting his name from the stands as a worthy back-up for T&T's own Marvin 'Dog' Andrews' who plays for Rangers FC and is bound for World Cup and Champions League glory with his country and club respectively in 2006. Keyeno certainly looked the part and it was real pity that national coach Leo Beenhakker was not on hand to witness a masterful performance by Jabloteh's gentle giant and the brilliance of others like Kerry Baptiste and Kerry Noray.
The game began at a fast tempo remnisicent of the clashes these two local titans have had over the season. The first direct shot to Connection's goal was made by young Jason Marcano as he blew past a defender to ram a sweet left footed shot staright at Jan Michael Williams which Williams found too hot to hold and palmed away for a corner kick. As usual Kerry Noray touch and speed was immaculate and was the reason why Jabloteh was able to conduct waves of raids right down the centre of the field as if to say to Connection 'we are not afraid of you. It was on one such raid that Noray's mazing dribbling and quick feet, weaving the ball left to right, left two Connection defender's for dead as he slammed the ball our from dead centre of the 18 yard box past a hopelessly diving Jan Michael Williams.
The first 20 minutes belonged to Jabloteh. After Connection's Jose Luis Seabra playing at left back had twice rammed Jabloteh's speedy forward Nigel Codrington to the ground with two vicious fouls in the first five minutes of the game, the expectations that the match as a tough 'foul-ridden' one seemed set to unfold. Condrington looked busy early making some searing runs directly at Seabra in a contest that left eth crowd in 'ooohhs' and ' ahhhs' as the two traded tricks on the sideline. Seabra collected the first of four Connection yellow cards of the game for his abrasive work on Codrington who thereafter slipped twice while after having created very good chances for himself in the 18 yard box.
Mitchell was strong, jumping high to flick headers on to Noray. At times it seemed like the Jabloteh team were dictating the pace and Connection were just forced to counter-attack.
Marcano did most of his damage in the second half, elegantly 'skinning' the Connection defence with his unusual gait and slashing runs. He is certain to do well next year. Addlery kept his composure and played a good game stealing the ball and forcing turnovers until his substition for Francois. Condrington was substituted for Elwyn and Mitchell for Brown.
Elwyn looked very promising on his debut. Short and slight, he nevertheless he ran fearlessly into the Connection box and fiercely contested headers. It seemed as if no one told him to read that part of the script that said that he was not only the youngest by far but also the shortest player by far on the pitch.
Brown looked unflustered in midfield. In only his second appearance for the club he made none of the mistakes that marred his debut last week. He was instructed to play a more defensive role and to leave the attacking for Baptiste. That plan worked very well.
The Connection players were unlucky not to have scored on at least two ocassions Jean got himself into good positions but skewed his shots wide. It was clear that the night belonged to Jabloteh as they dug deep to produce an attacking performce worthy of respect. It was a true sensational Pro League match that left everyone wondering about the mouthwatering clashes expected next season between these two teams.
Jabloteh's young stars showed their class and have won themselves the bragging rights until next season begins and the rivalry restarts.