ATO DOLDON STADIUM, Couva – With virtually seconds left on the clock on Friday night, league leader DIRECTV W Connection allowed victory and three valuable points to slip out of its grip against Point Fortin Civic.
Instead, both Connection and Civic – one desperately trying to hold on for the title and the other hoping for top-two finish – walked away with a point each.
It was in the fourth and final minute of stoppage-time that Civic substitute Sean Cooper equalised for a 1-1 finish after Connection had held a single goal advantage for the nearly the entirety of the match.
The 32-year-old Cooper, a January signing by Coach Reynold Carrington, blasted past goalkeeper Julani Archibald from the right of the area and inside the near upright – surely triggering the alarm of Connection’s title hopes.
Connection, who once held a 15-points advantage an incredible 12-match unbeaten streak, are experiencing a roller coaster ride although maintaining its position at the top of the 2013/2014 Digicel Pro League with 42 points and four games left.
In relentless chase of Connection, bitter town-rivals Central are second with 35 points and a game more than their Couva neighbours to play.
Central, unbeaten in their last 13 games with consecutive wins in their last 6, are two points ahead of third positioned North East Stars and fourth positioned Civic, who are also chasing a top-two finish and qualification to next season’s Caribbean Club Championship and ultimately the Concacaf Champions League.
The Stars, unbeaten in their last 8 games, will be in action on Saturday from 4 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium against defending champion and sixth positioned Defence Force, who must also face Connection twice again.
Connection grabbed a 1-0 lead against Civic in as early as the 8th minute of play, and had a touch of fortune, when Alvin Jones’ free-kick from 25-yards out took a wicked deflection off former “Savonnetta Boys” player Nickholson Thomas (in the defensive wall) to beat an unlucky goalkeeper Marvin Phillip inside the far upper corner.
Two minutes later from a similar position Connection won another free-kick with Alvin teeing up his brother Joevin Jones, who let off a low left-footed strike that Phillip, another former Connection player, gathered.
Phillip made another save in the 20th minute, this time with his legs, keeping out a low Jerrel Britto strike off Joevin's cross following a quickly taken free-kick by Silvio Spann.
And in the 22nd minute the Trinidad and Tobago international goalie made yet another stop, denying a low effort by Jamal Clarence, who turned neatly inside the area after being picked out by a Gerard Williams’ pass.
Clarence then shaved wide a Silvio Spann cross five minutes from the half-time blow of referee Neal Brizan’s whistle.
While Civic, who defeated Connection 2-1 at the Mahaica Oval in Round Two but lost two previous meetings – 6-5 on penalties in the quarterfinal round of the First Citizens Cup and 1-0 in Round One of the league – failed to really trouble Connection’s Archibald until Cooper popped up in the area in the final minute for the equaliser.
Marcus Joseph had headed-on to teenager Akeem Redhead, who slipped a pass into the right of the area, and Cooper took one touch before blasting past the St. Kitts/Nevis international goalie and slowing Connection.
Results
W Connection 1—1 Point Fortin Civic
Alvin Jones 8' ; Sean Cooper 90'+4
Teams
W Connection—18. Julani Archibald, 3. Gerard Williams (C), 4. Daneil Cyrus, 2. Kurt Frederick (20. Stefano Rijssel 76th), 10. Joevin Jones, 12. Jerrel Britto (65. Neil Benjamin Jr. 62nd), 7. Silvio Spann, 17. Jamal Clarence, 25. Christian Viveros, 40. Jomal Williams (14. Hashim Arcia 63rd), 39. Alvin Jones
Unused substitutes—22. Aquelius Sylvester (GK), 11. Tremain Shayn Paul, 19. Leslie Joel Russell, 32. Dimitrie Apai
Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Point Fortin Civic—1. Marvin Phillip, 17. Glen Sutton, 6. Kelvin Modeste, 4. Weslie John, 2. Garyl Doldron, 18. Akeem Redhead, 7. Nickcolson Thomas (C), 19. Andrei Pacheco (15. Sean Cooper 77th), 11. Andre Toussaint, 10. Marcus Joseph, 31. Kendall Davis (20. Sylvester Teesdale 57th)
Unused substitutes—26. Akini Adams (GK), 21. Andre Alexis, 30. Akiniyel Rouse, 33. Jamille Boatswain, 35. Kariym Balthazar
Coach—Reynold Carrington