Caledonia AIA have propelled themselves into third position on the Digicel Pro League standings and are suddenly a title contender, which wasn’t the case for the Morvant/Laventille before Friday’s Round One Match Day Six fixtures.
Caledonia—previously seated in 6th position with just 5 points from league five matches—dumped bottom of the table St. Ann’s Rangers 6-1, in the first match of a double header at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
Midfielder Keyon Edwards led with a hat-trick, scoring in the 9th, 25th and 46th minutes, and teammates Noel Williams in the 71st minute, Densill Theobald in the 72nd minute and Tyrone Charles in the 84th minute all chipped in with a goal each.
The Caledonia win also meant that Rangers, ninth on the standings after Round One Match Day Six, failed to qualify for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) administrated FA Trophy competition which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday 13 November.
Only eight of the nine TT Pro League clubs are eligible to contest the FA Trophy—which was last won consecutively by three-time (2008, 2011-12 & 2012-13) winners Caledonia—as stipulated by the TTFA.
In the second match, San Juan Jabloteh—coming off a 4-1 defeat to Caledonia a week ago—stunned Point Fortin Civic 3-1.
Kerry Baptiste, netted twice for Jabloteh, hitting the target on either side of the half to send Point Fortin sliding to its third consecutive league defeat.
Baptiste, the leading goalscorer this season, took his overall tally to 10 goals in all competitions, seven of which were scored in the league, scoring in the 45th and 62nd minutes, and separated by teammate Rennie Britto’s item in the 52nd minute. Point Fortin captain Kelvin Modeste notched his team’s only item in the 50thminute.
And in a highly anticipated clash between bitter rivals North East Stars and Central FC, and their respective coaches Angus Eve and Terry Fenwick, in the first fixture at the Marvin Lee Stadium, both teams failed to outshine the other with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
Substitute Dwight Quintero broke the deadlock in the 68th minute—nine minutes after replacing an ineffective Keon Trim—when he raced onto a long pass forward by Rundell Winchester and executed a delicate touch from the middle of the area to beat goalkeeper Cleon John, who was late off his line.
Quintero making up for disappointing hit five minutes earlier when he guided a Winchester cross over, but the missed effort combined with the energy of former player Anthony Wolfe haunted Central later on.
It was in the 73rd minute that the Stars equalized the tightly contested fixture, when 2006 T&T World Cup player Wolfe, climbed high in the area to head in a Kennedy Hinkson cross past goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams.
Earlier, Defence Force assistant coach Marvin Gordon guided the defending league champions to their second win of the 2013-14 league championship, with a 2-1 win over Police FC.
Gordon, as on many occasions, enjoying the lead role, with head coach Ross Russell away on international duty in Cali, Colombia for the youth Tournament of the Americas with the Trinidad and Tobago Boys Under 15 team as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach to head Coach Shaun Cooper. Former T&T international and W Connection youth coach Leonson Lewis is also an assistant coach to Cooper.
But it wasn’t a cool march in the park against Police at the Macoya venue for the soldiers despite taking a 15th minute lead through winger Kevon Carter, who also served as team captain on the night.
Not only did Carter score, but also set up the winner on Friday night, while regular captain and defender Corey Rivers watched on from the substitutes’ bench.
Carter fired Defence Force ahead on the second bite to beat goalkeeper Adrian Foncette for a 1-0 advantage, after his initial header off a Jemel Sebro cross from the right came off the base of the upright.
Carter returned the favour four minutes from the break but Sebro failed make good contact.
Police later leveled the scores 1-1 in the 67th minute when Army goalkeeper Kevin Graham was no match for a rocket of a free kick from 26 yards out by Elijah Belgrave, who missed out on a great chance four minutes inside the second half.
On the other end goalkeeper Foncette pulled off consecutive saves in the 59th and 60thminutes; first wrapping Rodell Elcock’s header off a Marvin Jones freekick, and seconds later he gloved out a solid strike by Richard Roy.
However Foncette was unable to reach a well placed stinger from distance by Jerwyn Balthazar in the 67th minute which later turned out the Defence Force winner for a 2-1 score.
The play was started by Roy, who fed a pass to Sebro on the right and the winger whipped in a cross to find Carter, who rolled out a pass to Balthazar. In the end, Balthazar executed a much better effort than his sliced effort in the 55th minute which flew over the crossbar.
Police had a couple efforts later but just couldn’t find the baclk of the net a second time. Akiba Peters, who struck the side netting in the 38th minute after meeting a diagonal Christon Thomas pass from the midfield, showed off some neat footwork in the 78th minute mesmerizing the soldiers before passing to substitute and veteran footballer Trent Noel, who had a crack at goal but overbar.
And in the 87th minute Graham preserved the soldiers’ winning scoreline with a save against Anton Hutchinson who managed to get in a header from a Thomas pass.
At the end of Round One Match Day Six, DIRECTV W Connection—sitting out on the bye—still occupies top spot with 15 points. Point Fortin remains second with 9 points, one point more than climbing third positioned Caledonia and slipped-to-fourth position Central, both with 8 points. Caledonia ahead of Central because of a superior goals difference.
North East Stars remains fifth with 7 points, the same amount as Police which dropped two positions into sixth. San Juan Jabloteh moved up a spot into seventh with 6 points, and Defence Force, also with 6 points, slipped a spot into eight positioned despite picking up a win on Friday. Rangers remain at the bottom with 3 points.
Round One Match Day Six Results
St. Ann’s Rangers 1—6 Caledonia AIA
Jumol Harewood 36’ ; Keyon Edwards 9’, 25’, 46’, Noel Williams 71’, Densill 72, Tyrone Charles 84’
Police FC 1—2 Defence Force
Elijah Belgrave 57’ ; Kevon Carter 15’, Jerwyn Balthazar 67’
San Juan Jabloteh 3—1 Point Fortin Civic FC
Kerry Baptiste 45’, 62’ Rennie Britto 52’ ; Kelvin Modeste 50’
North East Stars 1—1 Central FC
Anthony Wolfe 73’ ; Dwight Quintero 68’
Teams
Police FC—18. Adrian Foncette, 21. Todd Ryan (capt.) (Yellow Card), 1. Errol Charles (10. Trent Noel 73rd), 5. Anton Hutchinson (Yellow Card), 6. Kenaz Williams, 8. Akiba Peters, 17. Dexter Alleyne, 19. Christon Thomas, 20. Elijah Belgrave, 25. Kemron Purcell, 39. Joel Kevin Lewis (11. Kareem Perry 79th).
Unused substitutes—31. Theon Browne (GK), 7. Brendon Christopher, 13. Elijah Roberts, 27. Dwayne Salazar, 28. Aaron Stewart.
Coach—Richard Hood.
Defence Force—1. Kevin Graham, 11. Kevon Carter (capt.), 10. Josimar Belgrave (9. Devorn Jorsling 66th), 26. Richard Roy (Yellow Card), 13. Marvin Jones, 6. Rodell Elcock, 5. Devin Jordan, 8. Curtis Gonzales (4. David Long 64th), 12. Jemel Sebro (Yellow Card) (65. Levi Serries 84th), 15. Jerwyn Balthazar, 17. Ross Russell Jr,.
Unused substitutes—25. Sheldon Clarke (GK), 18. Sean Narcis, 99. Samuel Delice, 14. Corey Rivers.
Coach—Marvin Gordon.
Teams
North East Stars—22. Cleon John (capt.), 2. Kareem Moses, 5.Aquil Selby (Yellow Card), 6. Jeromie Williams (25. Keryn Navarro 68th), 8. Micah Lewis, 7. Elijah Manners (13. Marcus Gomes 77th), 12. Jayson Joseph (Yellow Card), 11. Anthony Wolfe, 19. Glenton Wolfe, 23. Kennedy Hinkson, 9. Akiel Guevara (20. Trevin Caesar 60th).
Unused substitutes—1. Stephan Berkeley (GK), 9. Akiel Guevara, 17. Andres Cabrero Gomez, 18. Kaashif Thomas.
Coach—Angus Eve.
Central FC— 21. Jan-Michael Williams, 7. Jason Marcano (capt.), 10. Marvin Oliver, 2. Elton John, 3. Keion Goodridge, 11. Darren Mitchell (Yellow Card), 22. Keon Trim (9. Dwight Quintero 59th), 12. Jamal Jack, 14. Darryl Trim (13. Johan Peltier 46th), 17. Rundell Winchester (Yellow Card), 24. Akeem Benjamin (Yellow Card) (19. Dwight Pope 82nd).
Unused substitutes—16. Javon Sample (GK), 4. Omar Charles, 16. Akil DeFreitas, 23. Hector Sam, 6. Toric Robinson.
Coach— Terry Fenwick.