Central FC crash again
Trinidad Express ReportsJabloteh edge out Pro League leadersPlay Whe San Juan Jabloteh handed Digicel Pro League leaders Central FC their second successive defeat when they earned a hard-fought 3-2 win in an action-filled encounter at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya on Friday.
Two penalties by veteran midfielder Marvin Oliver kept Central in the hunt but the ejection of striker Rundell Winchester and a second half brace by Jabloteh’s Tyrone Charles saw them come up short.
Central, coming off an upset 1-0 loss to Defence Force on Tuesday, looked sharp in the early stages of the match and came close to opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Sean De Silva’s right side corner was met with a first-time shot by midfielder Jason Marcano that was inches wide.
The title-chasing outfit eventually got the opening item eight minutes later when Kaydion Gabriel was upended by a clumsy challenge from Mudassa Howe while en route to goal. Referee Ruthven Harris had no hesitation in awarding a penalty while dishing out a yellow card to Howe. Oliver scored with his second attempt after goalkeeper Raheem Belgrave had dived full stretch to his right to block the initial shot.
The lead did not last long though, as midfielder Fabian Reid picked up a Calib Sturge pass in the 20th minute, went around defender Jamal Jack and placed his effort beyond Jan-Michael Williams’ left glove and into the top right corner of the goal to even proceedings at 1-1.
There was a brief period of stoppage around the 37th minute mark after Belgrave was involved in a clash with Winchester and had to receive some medical attention. He was eventually replaced by Aaron Enil at halftime. And Winchester would later be made to rue his missed chance in the 43rd minute when he placed an uncontested header at the far post, off a Willis Plaza’s rebound, wide of the upright.
Plaza himself had two good opportunities within a three-minute span on either side of the half but could not convert them. His 45th minute effort took a deflection off a defender and went behind for a corner while his left-footed shot in the 48th minute, off a headed pass by Sean De Silva, was wide of the target.
Central seemed to be missing the presence of striker Ataullah Guerra, who was unavailable due to a red card in their last game. Winchester, who took Guerra’s starting position, tried to beat Enil with an acrobatic bicycle kick off a feed by Marcano in the 55th minute but it sailed over the crossbar.
And then a combination of determination by Charles and hesitation on the part of Central changed the tide of the match in the 58th minute. He chased down a long pass, played forward by Isaiah McIntyre, and was able to get between Williams and his central defenders—who were in two minds as to who should go after the ball—to tap home and give Jabloteh a 2-1 advantage.
Central’s woes worsened when Winchester picked up a red card in the 62nd minute. Referee Harris had initially taken out his yellow card to show to Winchester for a foul on Jevon Morris but the striker, who was lying prone, protested vehemently, claiming that he was elbowed in the face by Morris. Harris’ refusal to accept Winchester’s account of what happened was met with some abusive language by the striker which prompted the referee to produce his red card instead.
Despite being down to 10 men, Central continued to fight and drew level when they won their second penalty of the evening. Darren Mitchell weaved his way into the area in the 66th minute and found himself on the carpet following a challenge by Josiah Trimmingham. Harris awarded a penalty and Oliver duly beat Enil with a rasping shot to his left.
However, Plaza’s misfortune on the evening continued despite his gutsy efforts to secure full points for Central. His right-footed effort in the 70th minute found nothing but the side net and then he had only a look of despair on his face eight minutes later when his goalward bound strike, with Enil totally beaten, was cleared off the line in a last-ditch effort by Howe.
Reid would then add an assist to the goal he scored, when he slipped the ball into the area in the 81st minute for Charles to collect, while holding off the challenge of Marcelle Francois, and beat Williams at his near post with a firm drive.
Charles second item served to temporarily silence Central’s drummers, who had been vociferously urging their team on.
In the evening’s first game, a gutsy performance by Police saw them clinch a 3-0 win over Caledonia AIA.
The lawmen, who contested every loose ball to outhustle and outmuscle their opponents, took the lead as early as the third minute when striker Kareem Freitas beat goalkeeper Shemel Louison after being played in by Kareem Perry.
Clevon McFee made it 2-0 four minutes before the interval with a well-timed run to get on the end of Micah Lewis’ pass that he slapped firmly past Louison.
And the victory was sealed in the 60th minute when Jameel Perry picked up the ball deep on the left of goal and weaved right then left to free himself up before playing a square pass to Kenaz Williams at the top of the 18-metre box. Williams hit a cracking right-footed shot that flew past Louison to settle at the back of his net.
In another game played at the Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin Civic followed up on their 2-1 defeat of W Connection on Tuesday with a 4-1 whipping of St. Ann’s Rangers, with all five goals coming in the second half.
Rangers opened the scoring in the 56th minute via Jelani Peters before strikes by Marcus Joseph (72nd), Shackiel Henry (75th) and Jamille Boatswain in the 83rd and 90th minutes gave Civic the win.
Results
Police FC 3 (K. Freitas 3rd, C. Mc Fee 41st, K. Williams 60th) vs Caledonia AIA 0
Central FC 2 (M. Oliver 14th & 66th -pen) vs San Juan Jabloteh 3 (F. Reid 20th, T. Charles 58th & 81st)
Point Fortin Civic 4 (M. Joseph 72nd, S. Henry 75th, J. Boatswain 83rd & 90th) vs St. Ann's Rangers 1 (J. Peters 56th)
Link:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Central-FC-crash-again-291169861.html