Defence Force stuns Civic; Pt Fortin loses 8-game unbeaten streak
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868)Point Fortin Civic’s eight match Pro League unbeaten streak came to an end at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva this evening as the newly promoted team lost 1-0 to defending champion Defence Force.
The result saw Civic concede ground at the top of the table as the team from deep south slipped three points behind joint second place clubs, Central FC and North East Stars, and eight shy of present leader DIRECTV W Connection.
For Defence Force coach Ross Russell, the triumph was the best possible going away present as the army/coast guard combination prepares to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2014 Caribbean Club Championship.
Defence Force opens it campaign in Group 3 on Friday against Guyana’s Alpha United at Harbour View in Jamaica. Caledonia AIA, the Pro League’s other representative, plays Haitian host Sportive de Mirebalais on Friday in Group 2.
But the “Tetetron Boys” rode their luck today. Thrice, Civic thumped shots off the upright while Defence Force was also forced to play the final 20 minutes with 10 players after defender Glynn Franklyn received a straight red card for a hack on substitute Kelvin “Supers” Modeste.
Somehow, Defence Force held on and seemed to even grow in stature as the final whistle drew close.
Russell’s men are just three points behind fourth placed Civic now and with two games in hand. It would be an astounding feat if Defence Force finishes in the top two after the unforeseen and tragic circumstances that affected the team this season. And, if they manage it, the Teteron Boys would look back at this evening’s game and smile.
Civic should have gone ahead in the seventh minute.
Midfielder Akeem Redhead slipped the ball into the path of Marcus Joseph and the league’s leading marksman cannoned his effort off the base of the far post. The rebound fell to his capable strike partner, Andre Toussaint, but his effort took a slight deflection off an opponent and hit the other post.
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