St. Ann’s Rangers picked up its first win of the Digicel Pro League championship on Saturday night at the Marvin Lee Stadium, and so did Caledonia AIA of Morvant-Laventille in the second match of the Round One Match Day Five double header.
Rangers, previously transporting a four-match losing streak in all competitions this season, celebrated the scalps of defending champions Defence Force with a 3-2.
And in the second match, the previously underperforming Caledonia, ended a nine-match winless streak—inclusive of four matches played in the Concacaf Champions League group stage between August and September—this season, with a 4-1 victory over San Juan Jabloteh.
Caledonia, now with 5 points, jumped to 6th position, while Rangers, tied with 3 points along with 7th positioned Defence Force and 8th positioned Jabloteh, sits at the bottom of the nine-team table.
Against the run of play, former Jabloteh and Police player, Noel Williams threw everything behind a well placed Jamal Gay cross in the 9th minute to direct the ball past goalkeeper Kevin Dodds for a 1-0 Caledonia advantage.
Densill Theobald later doubled the advantage in the 41st minute, knocking in a Kareem Joseph cross, which was initially missed by Gay. Dodds, a former Trinidad and Tobago youth World Cup goalkeeper beaten again and Caledonia leading 2-0 before the break.
Keyon Edwards added Caledonia's third in the 49th minute, heading in a Miguel Alejandro Romeo cross from the right at the near post for a 3-0 score.
Caledonia, the ones donning scoring boots against the attractive playing Jabloteh--which were limited in the final third of the field.
Jabloteh talisman Kerry Baptiste missed the target in the 19th minute when a wayward headed clearance by defender Nuru Abdullah Muhammad fell to his feet inside the area. And in the 59th minute, the leading goal scorer executed an ambitious lob against goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel, who produced a good recovery save, pushing the effort overbar.
Everything was going Caledonia's way. The Jamaal Shabazz coached team even won an own goal in the 65th minute for a 4-0 score.
Dodds took the pace off a Kareem Joseph effort, but defender Nyron Jones' clearance off the line ricocheted off Keino Goodridge and into the net. The Morvant-Laventille boys celebrating them as easily as they come.
But Caledonia was shredded in the 76th minute when a solo run by Jabloteh substitute Shaquille Bertrand from wide and into the area, leaving defenders Joseph and Akeem Thomas beaten, completed his run with a cool finish to beating Samuel for a consolation item--4-1 the score.
Gay, scorer of a double against Defence Force last Tuesday, missed out on restoring Caledonia's four goal advantage in stoppage time when he headed overbar an Abdallah Phillips' cross.
Earlier, Rangers were in front by the 18th minute when Clevon Mc Fee turned inside his marker in the left of the area and fitted a low shot inside the far netting to beat Defence Force second choice goalie Sheldon Clarke for the 1-0 advantage.
Mc Fee was a clear threat to the soldiers, but was forced to make a premature exit in the 60th minute--unable to continue because of a knock picked up, in a foul by Keston Williams, less than ten minutes before the break.
Despite a couple excellent shutouts by Rangers’ goalie Terrence Lewis in the first half, the St. Ann’s football club was at one time down a goal, before being rescued by two Kerron Cummings second half free-kicks.
Kerry Joseph had levelled the scores, 1-1, in the 32nd minute after shielding off two challengers inside the area and hooking a strike past Lewis, and three minutes after the break Josimar Belgrave pushed Army in front, 2-1, when he controlled a Ross Russell Jr. cross unchallenged and slammed a shot past the hapless Rangers goalie.
But Cummings levelled the scores 2-2 in the 62nd minute, with a left footed free-kick from 26 yards out which bounced once before beating Clarke at the near post.
And from a closer distance, just outside the area, the talented midfielder executed another left footed free-kick to beat Clarke for a 3-2 Rangers advantage.
The Gilbert Bateau coached-Rangers had a clear opportunity to add another item in the 82nd minute when substitute Michael Yaw Darko whipped a low cross across the face of goal, but Conrad Smith, free at the back post, guided the ball wide.
Defence Force had already replaced an ineffective go-to forward Devorn Jorsling in the 58th minute, and his replacement, Richard Roy, was far from the soldier needed for the war.
Full Round One Match Day Five results
Central FC 1 - 4 Police FC
Dwight Quintero 87' ; Elijah Belgrave 16', 36', Joel Kevin Lewis 32', Akiba Peters 68'
W Connection 2 - 0 Point Fortin Civic FC
Joevin Jones 5', 72'
Saturday 26 October 2013
Defence Force 2 - 3 St. Ann's Rangers
Kerry Joseph 32', Josimar Belgrave 48' ; Clevon McPhee 18', Kerron Cummings 62', 69'
Caledonia AIA 4 - 1 San Juan Jabloteh
Noel Williams 9', Densill Theobald 41', Keyon Edwards 49', (own goal) 65' ; Shaquille Bertrand 76'
Teams
Defence Force—25. Sheldon Clarke, 14. Corey Rivers (C), 3. Keston Williams (8. Curtis Gonzales 66th), 10. Josimar Belgrave, 11. Kevon Carter, 13. Marvin Jones, 18. Sean Narcis (15. Jerwyn Balthazar 69th), 23. Kerry Joseph, 9. Devorn Jorsling (26. Richard Roy 58th), 17. Ross Russell Jr., 6. Rodell Elcock.
Unused substitutes—1. Kevin Graham (G), 4. Dave Long, 12. Jemel Sebro, 65. Levi Serries.
Coach—Ross Russell.
St. Ann’s Rangers—25. Terrence Lewis, 7. Clevon McPhee (C) (14. Michael Yaw Darko 60th), 6. Kareem Davidson, 8. Joel Whiteman, 9. Conrad Smith, 10. Kerron Cummings, 12. Tevin Gilkes, 5. Duran Dilworth, 16. Kennedy Isles, 11. Jumol Harewood, 23. Dwayne James.
Unused substitutes—1. Akel Clarke (G), 2. Marcus Roberts, 4. Jelani Peters, 19. Akim Ash.
Coach—Gilbert Bateau.
Caledonia AIA—33. Glenroy Samuel, 7. Stephan David (capt.), 3. Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, 5. Akeem Thomas (24. Kevaughn Connell 78th), 9. Keyon Edwards (10. Kithson Bain 68th), 12. Kareem Joseph, 14. Jamaal Smith, 20. Noel Williams, 21. Densill Theobald, 22. Miguel Alejandro Romeo (11. Abdallah Phillips 66th), 23. Jamal Gay.
Unused substitutes—1. Shemel Louison (G), 6. Marcus Ambrose, 13. Julian Wade, 27. Nathan Lewis.
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz.
San Juan Jabloteh—1. Kevin Dodds, 10. Kerry Baptiste, 26. Keino Goodridge, 12. Jamal Spencer, 18. Jevon Morris (11. Akel James 77th),16. Nyron Jones, 19. Dillon Kurton, 17. Kerry Daniel (22. Shane Hospidales 63rd), 9. Jelani Felix, 20. Kevon Piper, 8. Anthony Guppy (14. Shaquille Bertrand 59th).
Unused substitutes—30. Jesse Peters (G), 3. Lekion Elie, 5. Daryl Mark, 18. Savion Kirton.
Coach—Keith Jeffrey.