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W Connection made an exciting comeback on Friday night to defeat Caledonia AIA 3-0 on penalties and advance into the quarterfinal stage of the 2009 Toyota Classic.

Connection were trailing after a 29th minute own goal by skipper Elijah Joseph which defeated a hapless Miguel Lloyd.

But the Stuart Charless Fervier coached side proved why they are always the team to watch in knockout competitions, pulling back the game in the 80th minute through a strike by Brazilian William Da Silva Oliveira which levelled the scores 1-1 at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

That scoreline remained forcing the match to be decided on kicks from the spot and Connection's Colombian goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd pulled off two brilliant saves to deny Kerry Daniel and Ryan Stewart after Nuru Abdallah Muhammed missed Caledonia's first kick.

Lloyd's teammates Jose Luis Seabra, Renato Pereira and Kern Cupid didn't disappoint--all netting their strikes past Caledonia's Jamaican goalkeeper Kevin Graham.

Caledonia looked the team to advance after getting the opening item in the 29th minute when a misdirected effort by Ryan Stewart was diverted past an unfortunate Miguel Lloyd by his captain Elijah Joseph who slid in an attempt to clear the ball.

Connection had a decent opportunity to level the scores in the 38th minute however William Da Silva Oliveira directed Jose Carlos Diaz's cross directly into goalkeeper Kevin Graham at close range.

Da Silva had a crack on goal in the second period from distance after being picked out by Hughtun Hector but again Graham stood in his way gathering it comfortably.

Midway through the second period Akim Armstrong whisked a leftfooted shot just outside Lloyd's upright as Caledonia continued to look the better of the two sides.

And Connection were close to levelling the scores minutes later through substitute Igor Santos poking a shot inches wide.

But ten minutes before time William Da Silva Oliveira levelled the scores 1-1 beating Graham from inside the area.

Connection were on the defence in the dying stages when substitute Jameel Perry forced a decent save out of Lloyd after heading in a rightside cross.

Lloyd went on to make two great saves from the spot to help his side advance into the quarterfinals on Tuesday against Ma Pau SC.

Ma Pau registered a 2-1 win over Joe Public's Super League outfit thanks to a goal on either side of the half by Vincentian Shandell Samuel(35th and 80th) at the Marvin Lee Stadium. Public's item was scored by Donavon Derrick in the 45th minute.

In other results United Petrotrin, playing in the first match at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, managed a 2-1 win over an impressive Economy Strikers outfit coached by former North East Stars League winning coach James Mc Lean. Bmobile Joe Public of the Pro League whipped Police FC 4-1 with goals from Trent Noel, Tiba McKnight and a late double by Gorean Highley at the Marvin Lee Stadium. A double by Ronald Musgrave and another item by Javon Morris gave St Ann's Rangers a 3-2 over fellow Pro League outfit FC South End at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

Friday's Toyota Classic preliminary round results

W Connection (3) 1-1 (0) Caledonia AIA
William Da Silva Oliveira 79' ; Elijah Joseph (own goal) 29'

Penalties

W Connection (3)
Jose Luis Seabra (scored)
Renato Pereira (scored)
Kern Cupid (scored)

Caledonia AIA (0)
Nuru Abdallah Muhammed (missed)
Kerry Daniel (saved)
Ryan Stewart (saved)

Teams

W Connection--Miguel Lloyd, Elijah Joseph (capt.), Eder Gilmar Arias (Jose Luis Seabra 46th), Renato Pereira, William Da Silva Oliviera, Christian Viveros (Igor Santos 65th), Hughtun Hector, Gerard Williams, Jose Carlos Diaz, Nickcolson Thomas (Keryn Navarro 67th), Kern Cupid.

Coach--Stuart Charles Fevrier.

Caledonia AIA--Kevin Graham, Stephan David (capt.), Kestore Jacobs, Kareem Joseph, Walter Moore, Marcus Ambrose, Akim Armstrong (Sherron Joseph 81st), Ryan Stewart, Keon Daniel (Kerry Daniel 75th), Nuru Abdallah Muhammed, Randolph Jerome (Jameel Perry 75th).

Coach--Jamaal Shabazz

Joe Public (Pro League) 4-1 Police FC
Trent Noel 20', Tiba McKnight 24', Gorean Highley 82', 86' ; Akeem Marshall 26'

Joe Public (Super League) 1-1 Ma Pau SC
Shandell Samuel 35', 60' ; Donavon Derrick 45'

United Petrotrin 2-1 Economy Strikers
Luis Andre Lima 32', Arnold Dwarika 85' ; Carlon Hughes 90'+

St Ann's Rangers 3-2 FC SouthEnd
Ronald Musgrave 23', 55', Javon Morris 88' ; Kennrick Ettienne 34', 37'


Pro League clubs in quarter-finals.
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).


A quintet of five Digicel Pro League clubs advanced to the quarter-final round of the 2009 Toyota Classic competition, as the preliminary round phase got started on Friday night.

Joe Public, Ma Pau, W Connection, United Petrotrin and St Ann’s Rangers moved forward in the knockout tournament, at the expense of Police (Pro League), Bmobile Super League champions Joe Public, Caledonia AIA, Economy Strikers (Super League) and FC South End respectively.

Joe Public’s victorious Pro League and Super League teams were involved in a double-header at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, but only their Pro League team was successful, despite a valiant display by their Super League outfit. The opening match saw Joe Public’s Pro League outfit spank Police 4-1.

Trent Noel’s 20th minute freekick and Teba McKnight’s 24th minute header gave the hosts a 2-0 lead but Akeem Marshall reduced the deficit in the 26th.

Police hardly looked like winning, and any hopes they had of doing so were dashed with a late double from substitute Gorean Highley. In the 82nd, Yu Hoshide got a ball, down the middle, by fellow midfielder Kareem Young and fed Highley, in the penalty box, who, in turn, calmly hit his left-footer to the right of the outstretched goalkeeper Anthony Marshall.

Four minutes later, Highley was sent clear on goal by Noel and, with Marshall in no-man’s land, he blasted his left-footer beyond the startled goalie.

Joe Public’s Super League team was unable to duplicate the success of the Pro League counterparts on the night, as they fell 2-1 to Ma Pau.

Both teams had early chances on goal – Ricardo Bennett tested Ma Pau’s goalie Shane Mattis with a low right-footed effort, which narrowly missed the mark, while Ma Pau’s forward Trevin Caesar ended a neat midfield buildup with an effort at goal, but he was denied by the retreating defender Grayson Edwards, with keeper Kerwyn Beckles beaten.

Ma Pau took the lead in the 36th through forward Shandel Samuel, who latched home a rebound after his captain’s Lyndon Andrews had his right-footer denied by the defence. But the Super League champs evened up the scores with virtually the last kick in the half, with Donovan Derrick catching the defence off-guard with a right-footed try.

Ma Pau’s experience, at the highest level, proved crucial in the second half, as they withstood the energetic efforts from the hosts and, in turn, getting the game-winner from Samuel in the 61st. Kerry Noray’s bustling run down the left saw the ball played into the Ma Pau’s penalty box, but defender Andre Phillip lazily lost possession to Rennie Britto.

The midfielder picked out Samuel who drilled his shot beyond the reach of Beckles. In the most eagerly-anticipated first round matchup, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, W Connection forced kicks-from-the- penalty-spot to eliminate Caledonia AIA 3-0 – Caledonia missed their four attempts from the spot-kicks while Jose Luis Seabra, Renato Perreira and Kern Cupid converted their efforts.

Caledonia were fancying their chances of progressing to the last eight, courtesy of an own goal, on the half-hour, by Connection’s captain Elijah Joseph. But Brazilian William Da Silva Oliviera tied the scores in the 80th minute and the momentum swung in Connection’s favour as they held their nerves in the shoot-out. In the earlier match at Marabella, Petrotrin held off a late rally from Economy to prevail 2-1.

Brazilian Luis Lima (32nd) and veteran Arnold Dwarika (85th) found the back of the net for Petrotrin, while Carlon Hughes pulled one back for Economy in second-half stoppage time. The lone fixture at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva was an entertaining one, as Rangers got the better of South End 3-2 in a topsy-turvy exchange.

Ronald Musgrave opened the scoring for Rangers in the 23rd minute before South End responded with a pair from Kenrick Ettienne, in the 34th and 37th. Musgrave got Rangers’ equaliser 10 minutes into the second half and Jevon Morris notched the winner in the 88th.

After this weekend’s first round action, attention will turn to the quarter-finals on Tuesday, with double-headers scheduled to take place at Marabella as well as the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima.