T&TEC awaits special token, Police beat Connection

While T&TEC FC awaits confirmation of a “special token” which would see three teams from T&T enter the 2012 CFU Club Championship which is scheduled to begin in March.

Caledonia topped the qualifying table with 22 points, one point ahead of W Connection (21 points) by edging T&TEC FC (19 points) 1-0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Tuesday night in a deciding affair thanks to a 60th minute strike by striker Devorn Jorsling.

Caledonia entered the Digicel Pro League Championship Round Two Match Day Seven match needing full points to secure one of two CFU spots available, while T&TEC needed just a draw after holding a better goals difference and tied at 19 points.

W Connection meantime, automatically secured one of the two spots with 21 points, before Tuesday’s fixture against Police FC at the Ato Boldon Stadium, suffered a 2-1 upset defeat against the bottom of the table ‘Lawmen’ with comeback goals by Dexter Alleyne (40th minute) and Trent Noel (78th minute) after Hashim Arcia’s opening item in the 15th minute for the ‘Savonnetta Boys’.

Although safely qualifying for the CFU tournament by finishing second, the defeat against Police saw Connection drop off the top of the regular Digicel Pro League Championship table into second with 21 points.

Caledonia now leads the standings with 23 points, Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh (20 points) in third, T&TEC FC (19 points) in fourth and Defence Force (16 points) in fifth.

The Jamaal Shabazz coached Caledonia, which debuted in the CFU tournament last season, showed greater intent against the Dexter Cyrus coached T&TEC.

In the 7th minute of play Jorsling fired overbar and in the 14thminute teammate Jamal Gay shaved a shot wide of the far post after having a good look from the right.

Caledonia’s Guyanese goalkeeper Ronson Williams was called upon in the 17th minute, and made easy of a diving Sylvester Teesdale header off an Andre Toussaint freekick.

Six minutes from the break Toussaint was shy of the goal in a somewhat quiet half.

Caledonia stepped up the pace in the second period with Ataulla Guerra and Keyon Edwards springing to life in midfield and second inside, T&TEC goalie Marvin Phillip had to made a remarkable save to dig out a low Gay effort.

Stephan David was next to have a go at goal, but hammered overbar when he was picked out on top the area by Kareem Joseph in the 50th minute.

Edwards also struck overbar six minutes later after meeting a Guerra pass with a blast of an effort.

T&TEC continued to absorb the attacks of Caledonia with Toussaint clearing off the line a headed effort by Nuru Abdallah Muhammad in the 57th minute and seconds later Phillip had a bit of trouble holding onto a Jorsling freekick.

Jorsling then fired Caledonia ahead on the hour mark, turning and blasting past Phillip to find the far post for the match winner following a decent buildup by the Morvant/Laventille club.

In the end T&TEC, despite being disappointed over the result, remained optimistic over the unofficial talk of a “special token” which would see them join Caledonia and W Connection in this season’s CFU Club Championship.

Round Two Match Day Four rescheduled match

North East Stars 0—1 Defennce Force
;  Jerwyn Balthazar 44’

Round Two Match Day Seven results

W Connection 1—2 Police FC
Hashim Arcia 15’  ;   Dexter Alleyne 40’, Trent Noel 78’

Caledonia AIA 1—0 T&TEC FC
Devorn Jorsling 60’

Teams

Caledonia AIA—Ronson Williams, Stephan David (capt.), Nuru Abdallah Muhammad, Colin Nelson (Abdallah Phillip), Aquil Selby, Keyon Edwards, Kareem Joseph, Walter Moore, Ataullah Guerra (Keda Roderick 90th), Devorn Jorsling, Jamal Gay (Trevin Caesar 79th)

Coach—Jamaal Shabazz

T&TEC FC—Marvin Phillip, Romauld Aguillera (capt.), Akeem Adams, Kern Peters, Brenton De Leon (Marcus Joseph 72nd), Jay-son Joseph, Kelvin Modeste (Andrei Pacheco 57th), Coneal Thomas, Andre Toussaint (Kevon Neaves 74th), Kerlon Ferguson, Sylvester Teesdale

Coach—Dexter Cyrus