Glance at Round 1 with Joel Villafana
9th April 2006
Davis double Hurts Petrotrin
W Connection 3 Petrotrin 0
A fantastic double strike by former National under 23 marksman Kendall Davis led the defending champions W Connection to a 3-0 win over United Petrotrin.
The ‘Savonetta Boys’ off to a winning start in their title defence.
Connection settled down first and after squandering a few chances, they got the opening goal in the 43rd minute when Andre Toussaint chipped the ball from the right flank and found Davis free—the Petrotrin defence stood still, expecting an offside call, it never came and Davis settled himself and slotted the ball pass Perry Martin in goal for Petrotrin.
Connection took a 1-0 lead into the dressing rooms and on the resumption, they quickly doubled the lead when Davis picked up a loose clearance from some 35 yards out and cracked a beauty of a volley that beat Martin in goal for a 2-0 Connection lead.
Petrotrin picked up the pace for a brief moment with Ijana Mark engineering some good moves down the flank but the ‘oilmen’ were unable to convert.
And in the 76th minute W Connection skipper Earl Jean got his name on the score sheet, scoring Connection’s 3rd item on the night and putting the game beyond the ‘oilmen’.
W Connection taking full points and are off to the perfect start this season—for the ‘Oilmen’ its back to the drawing board.
Teams
W Connection—Jan Michael Williams, William Da Silva Oliveira, Elijah Joseph, Atiba Charles, Clyde Leon, Nickolson Thomas, Hughton Hector, Andrei Pacheco, Earl Jean, Kendall Davis and Andre Toussaint—Subtitutes (Michael Celestine, Devon Mitchell and Ronaldo Vianna)
United Petrotrin—Perry Martin, Kevon Clement, Romauld Aguillera, Dwane Ellis, Marlon Lewis, Anthony Rougier, Felix, Lee Haynes, Ijana Mark, Sylvester Tesedale—Substitute(Simeon Augustus, Jerol Forbes, Kelvin Modeste)
Caledonia Close Out The Army
Caledonia 1 Defense Force 0
Caledonia AIA could not have asked for a better start to their 2006 pro- league campaign, as they came away with a narrow 1 – 0 victory over the Defense force at the Larry Gomes stadium.
Caledonia started the game on a cautious note and were forced to defend for the opening 20 minutes of the game. However, they settled down from that point and were rewarded with a goal in the 37th minute of the first half.
Caledonia’s goal developed from a throw deep on the right hand side of the Defense force area, that picked out an unmarked Jason Cudjoe – who had the simple task of tapping the ball past goalkeeper Cleon John to give Caledonia a deserving 1 – 0 lead
The Defense force did have their moments however to get back in the contest and should have scored off their best chance in the 68th minute. Forward, Devon Jorsling was played clear through and with only the goalkeeper to beat Jorsling amazingly shot wide of an open goal.
Caledonia’s head coach Jamal Shabazz fielded three of T&T’s under 21 players in this match and one of them, Judah Hernandez, should have extended Caledonia’s lead in the 91st minute but his low shot from eight yards out was bravely blocked by the on rushing Cleon John.
Overall, Defense force seemed to be just a half step behind Caledonia at both ends of the field.
Last season just three points separated the two teams with Caledonia finishing in 3rd spot and defense force in 4th. With that in mind, they both would be well aware of the importance of having good starts, especially with the possibility of teams being relegated at season end.
Squads
Defense force: Anton Pierre (captain), Cleon John (gk), Kenrick Saunders, Michael Edwards, Balondemu Julius, Devon Jorsling, Kevon Carter, Corey Rivers, Ronald St. Louis (sub) Kerwyn Balthazar, Ronald Bryce and Christian Baptiste (sub) (Anton Joseph)
Calediona AIA: Sheldon Emmanuel (captain), Michael Woods (gk), Kareem Joseph, Julio De La Rosa, Stephen Gray, Stephen David, Kendall Jagdeosingh (sub) Hayden Tinto, Conrad Smith (sub) Uz Taylor, Jason Cudjoe (sub) Judah Hernandez, Junior Spencer, Kevin James.
Jabloteh, Rangers and Joe Public Post Victories
Local football giant CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh registered a 1-0 win over the returning Starworld Strikers thanks to a 61st minute strike by National midfielder Aurtis Whitley.
Jabloteh surprisingly got a stern test from the Gally Cummings coached Starworld outfit as Dexter Franklyln tormented the Jabloteh defence giving Jabloteh’s goalkeeper Durance Williams a busy night in goal, the former Jabloteh man, who returned to Starworld this season was explosive down the flanks, but fortunately Jabloteh’s Durance Williams kept a clean sheet and Whitley provided a moment of brilliance.
In Tobago the new kid on the block, Superstar Rangers started positively, as they came away with a 2-0 win over Tobago United. Tobago playing in their own backyard failed to hit the onion bag and Superstar Rangers struck twice in 51st and 74th.
Marlon Bowen took advantage of a goal keeping error by the Tobagonian custodian—and then Kevin Williams lobbed the keeper for Rangers 2nd.
The other newcomers Joe Public also registered a victory—the Eastern Lions humbled former League Champions North East in their own back yard by a 2-1 margin.
The Jamaican pair of strikers Carlington Smith and Roen Nelson scored first half items—and North East pulled one back in the 55th minute through Shandel Samuel—but much to the disappointment of the Sangre Grande strong the Stars failed to get back on even terms.
