TITLE contenders Vibe CT105 W. Connection looked well on the way to recording the only victory in Wednesday's opening round of the 2004 T&T Pro League "Top Six" playoffs, until Marlon Stoute spoilt their party by rescuing a point for Starworld Strikers with a late goal.
Stoute's strike came in the 89th minute and must have been a shocker to W. Connection officials, who had been monitoring the afternoon matches, in which their main rivals, North East Stars and defending champions CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, both also figured in drawn games.
Playing a 7 p.m. match at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, W. Connection took the lead after 25 minutes through ex-Joe Public striker Andre Toussaint and led until a minute from the end when Stoute landed the big blow for Starworld Strikers.
Wednesday's afternoon games saw North East Stars being held 0-0 by Morvant-Arima Fire at Foster Road, Sangre Grande, while Defence Force and Jabloteh battled to a 1-1 draw at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The first-round results left Sangre Grande-based North East Stars still with a six-point lead over their closest rivals, with just four rounds of matches to play.
The results have also eliminated Defence Force and Starworld Strikers from contention as those two teams cannot now win the 2004 league title.
The "Top Six" series continues on Sunday with three matches, all beginning at five o'clock.
The key encounter will see W.Connection meeting North East Stars at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva; Morvant-Arima Fire face CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar; and Defence Force tackle Starworld Strikers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain.
WEDNESDAY'S TOP SIX PLAYOFF RESULTS:
North East Stars 0 Morvant-Arima Fire 0
CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Travis Mulrain 73rd) Defence Force 1 (Odelle Armstrong 16th)
Vibe CT105 W. Connection 1 (Andre Toussaint-25th) Starworld Strikers 1(Marlon Stoute-89th)