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Josh Johnson scored a second-half treble to lead CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh to a 4-1 hammering of United Petrotrin, the first win for the team in the T&T Professional Football League Senior Division, at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday.


The match also marked the return to Jabloteh of its former coach, Englishman Terry Fenwick, but his stay on the sidelines lasted just 42 minutes.

Fenwick, who led Jabloteh to the league title in 2002 before heading back to England, but re-engaged earlier this month, was ordered removed to the cover stands (from where he continued to give out instructions) after it was revealed to referee Phillip Jordan by fourth official Jagdesh Bimull that he (Fenwick) was not registered.

Jabloteh was made to labour through the first 45 minutes against a spirited Petrotrin team.

However, with the introduction of substitutes Noray and Kerry Baptiste for the out-of-sync Nigel Pierre and Jamaican Nicholas Addlery, Jabloteh looked a more determined team.

Within two minutes of the re-start , a feeble pass by Noray trickled its way through the legs of Petrotrin defender Beville Joseph, to Johnson inside the 18-yard box.

Johnson happily accepted the chance to put his team ahead, with Perry Martin stranded in goal.

Martin, one of five members of the national Futsal (Five-a-side football) team in the club’s line-up came up trumps to keep out another Jabloteh attack, this time a one-time volley from defender Charles Pollard from an Angus Eve free-kick.

From the ensuing corner, Johnson returned the favour to Noray, when he picked out his teammate with a pin-point corner from the right to him to head home for a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute.

Three minutes later, Johnson got his second of the match and Jabloteh’s third, running onto a through ball from fellow midfielder Trent Noel, to beat the advancing Martin in the far corner.

The speedy Johnson, a former national youth team player, then put the match out of Petrotrin’s reach as he again slotted the ball home from less than three yards out, after Devon Mitchell another substitute had his shot parried down by Martin.

Kennedy Hinkson got a consolation goal for Petrotrin 15 minutes from full-time,when he beat Jabloteh custodian Daurance Williams on his near post, after a centre from the left by Kelvin Hernandez, managed to evade three Jabloteh defenders.

In three previous matches, Jabloteh had drawn with Defence Force (1-1) and Caledonia AIA/Fire (0-0) and lost to table leaders VIBE CT 105 W Connection 2-1.

Titus Elva fired in a 75th minute winner for Caledonia AIA/Fire to stun defending champions National Quarries North East Stars 1-0 ,at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar for the second straight win of the season.

Elva had earlier saw two chances at goal kept out by NE Stars goalkeeper Trevor Nottingham in the 70th and 75th minute.

The win moved AIA/Fire up to second spot with seven points from four matches, five adrift of leaders W Connection.

Today, W Connection, the 2001 champions , go in search of a fifth straight win when it meets Defence Force at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 5pm.

Yesterday’s PFL Senior Division result:

CALEDONIA AIA/FIRE 1 (Titus Elva 78th) vs NORTH EAST STARS 0.

SAN JUAN JABLOTEH 4 ( Josh Johnson 47th, 55th, 71st Kerry Noray 52nd) vs UNITED PETROTRIN 1 (Kennedy Hinkson 75th).

Today’s PFL Senior Division match:

W Connection vs Defence Force at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, 5pm.

PFL Senior Division standings

Teams P W D L F A Pts

W Connection 4 4 0 0 13 2 12
Caledonia AIA/Fire 4 2 1 1 3 4 7
Defence Force 3 1 2 0 4 1 5
San Juan Jabloteh 4 1 2 1 6 4 5
North East Stars 4 1 2 2 4 8 4
United Petrotrin 4 1 0 3 5 13 3
Tobago United 3 0 0 3 6 9 0