Joe Public held 1-1 by Ma Pau.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).
Defending Digicel Pro League Champions Bmobile Joe Public had to settle for a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Ma Pau SC on Friday night in their opening 2010 Championship match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Public bolted early when ace goalscorer Kerry Baptiste registered a 13th minute item of class, controlling inside the area and slipping a low shot into goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa’s far netting for a 1-0 advantage.
However Ma Pau levelled the scoreline 1-1 one minute before the break with 2006 World Cup player Anthony Wolfe bundling the ball over goalkeeper Marvin Phillip after a spectacular long throughball by Elton John breaking apart the Joe Public defence.
As expected the match had a number of grudge tackles with seven yellow cards dished out by Surinamese referee Enrico Wijengaarde as both sides unsettled each other.
A couple opportunities were created later on, however no more goals came and both side had to settle for a point each following their Round One Match Day One clash.
Ma Pau defender Coneal Thomas had an effort wide seconds before the halftime whistle and before retiring injured in the second half. He was replaced by Kemuel Rivers.
Another 2010 signing Lester Peltier wasted a clear opening in the 67th minute when he headed tamely into goalkeeper Phillip’s arms after meeting Curtis Gonzales well placed cross from the right.
Gonzales himself was inches shy of handing Ma Pau the advantage in the 81st minute when he unleashed a low shot just wide of Phillip’s far post.
Joe Public 2009 Player of the Year, and Golden Boot winner Baptiste experienced a rare fumble after twisting and turning former teammates Seon Power and Keyeno Thomas one too many times allowing Thomas to block his attempted shot on goal out for a corner in the 73rd minute.
Action continued right down to the final whistle in front of a decent crowd at the Port of Spain venue.
Public’s late substitute Conrod Smith was denied by Figueroa’s gloves in the 86th minute, and in injury time on the other end goalkeeper Phillip created some scare after dribbling one to many players and fumbled before pulling off a magnificent save to deny Peltier.
Ma Pau SC 1—1 Joe Public
Anthony Wolfe 44’ ; Kerry Baptiste 13’
Ma Pau SC—Alejandro Figueroa, Keyeno Thomas (capt), Coneal Thomas (Yellow) (Kemmuel Rivers), Lester Peltier, Seon Power, Elton John, Kevin Molino (Shane Calderon 80th), Anthony Wolfe, Curtis Gonzales (Yellow), Trevin Caesar (Yellow) (Rennie Britto 83rd), Cyd Gray.
Coach—Michael McComie.
Joe Public—Marvin Phillip, Kerry Baptiste (capt), Radanfah Abu Bakr (Yellow), Hayden Tinto (Conrad Smith 78th), Trent Noel (Yellow), Yu Hoshide (Andre Toussaint 50th), Kareem Young (Marcus Joseph 66th), Nigel Daniel, Carlyle Mitchell (Yellow), Makan Hislop (Yellow), Micah Lewis.
Coach—Derek King.
Match Referee—Enrico Wijengaarde (SUR).
Connection nips maximum points against Jabloteh.
Former European based forward Matthew Bartholomew’s second half goal gave W Connection a winning start to the 2010 Digicel Pro League Championship against San Juan Jabloteh in a 1-0 finish at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday night.
Bartholomew broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute running into the Jabloteh area to meet a pass from the right and slipping a shot past goalkeeper Cleon John which proved to be the match winner.
The match had a slow start with little goal mouth action on either end. Connection’s Hughton Hector had the best effort of the opening period forcing a decent save from John who parried away the midfielder’s effort.
Jabloteh had an effort high and wide just before the halftime whistle through Willis Plaza and another two minutes into the second period by Cyrano Glen.
Glen tested Jan Michael Williams with a decent low shot from distance, however it was directed at the W Connection custodian who made a simple gather before sending a long kick forward in search of striker Matthew Bartholomew.
Bartholomew later found the net for the 1-0 advantage as Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick followed up by adding striker Jerrol Forbes, and winger Kennedy Hinkson in attack.
While Fenwick’s opposite number, Stuart Charles Fevrier, replaced the legs of Eder Gilmar Aras with that of Brazilian Renato Pereira in defence.
Jabloteh failed to equalize seven minutes from time when Forbes headed just wide of the upright, after meeting substitute Ataullah Guerra’s neat cross from the right which started with a cheeky flick on by Kennedy Hinkson to send Guerra down the line.
The San Juan based club then survived conceding another item in the 87th minute when goalkeeper John made a point blank save with his legs to deny Brazilian substitute Paulo Roberto Santana.
Four minutes of injury time by Jamaican referee Valdrin Ledgister wasn’t enough for a Jabloteh comeback, as W Connection walked off happy men with their 1-0 victory in the first match of the 2010 Digicel Pro League Championship.
San Juan Jabloteh 0—1 W Connection
Matthew Bartholomew ; 63’
San Juan Jabloteh—Cleon John, Marvin Oliver (capt), Karlon Murray, Jason Marcano (Yellow), Cyrano Glen (Jerrel Forbes 66th), Robert Primus, Anton Hutchinson (Kennedy Hinkson 70th), Noel Williams, Willis Plaza (Ataullah Guerra 61st) (Yellow), Jamal Jack, Elijah Manners.
Coach—Terry Fenwick.
Match Referee—Valdrin Ledgister (JAM).
