Regular-season winner Tiger Tanks Club Sando and runner-up AC Port-of-Spain (AC PoS) will clash in the Trinidad Claire George Conference final of the T&T Women’s League Football (WoLF) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain on Sunday (December 10) from 6 pm.
Two hours earlier at the same venue, losing semifinalists, Defence Force and Trincity Nationals will play for third place.
Last month in the semifinals, AC Port-of-Spain rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Trincity Nationals 4-3 in the first semifinal.
Former T&T and West Indies women’s cricketer Lee-Ann Kirby scored a pair of goals, in the 29th and 31st minutes and Jonelle Warrick converted a penalty kick for Trincity Nationals in the 45+3 to hold a shock 3-1 lead at the half, with Naomi Guerra also scoring a penalty for AC Port-of-Spain in the 38th.
However, Trincity Nationals was made to play the second half with ten players after captain Shenelle Warrick picked up two quick yellow cards in the 44th and 45+1 for dissent by referee Trenton Toney.
In the second half, AC PoS made their player advantage count to great effect with three goals without reply to turn around the match and snatch an unlikely victory.
Firstly, Rhea Belgrave scored in the 50th to reduce the margin to 3-2, while Tamara Johnson made it 3-3 in the 72nd, followed by Shakeema Forestine’s winner five minutes later to secure their team a spot in the final against regular-season winners Tiger Tanks Club Sando, who battled past Defence Force 2-1 in the second semifinal at the same venue.
The tension seemed too much for Trincity Nationals coach Joel Warrick as he was also dismissed for a second yellow card soon after AC PoS took the lead for the first time in the contest in the 78th minute after getting his first caution in the 46th.
For Club Sando, T&T women’s team winger Alexcia Ali headed in the opener in the eighth minute from a corner swung in by Dennecia Prince, while it was the latter who doubled her team’s advantage in the 60th minute, capitalising on a misdirected defensive clearance to fire past goalkeeper Nicolette Craig.
With five minutes left in the match, Defence Force was handed a lifeline when referee Nathalya Williams blew for a penalty kick after Jo-Marie Lewis was bundled over in the six-yard box by Club Sando’s Kelly-Ann Williams and the diminutive Aaliyah Prince confidently stepped up and beat goalkeeper Keri Meyers to her left to set up an intriguing final five minutes.
But, despite the seven minutes of injury time, Club Sando was able to withstand the late efforts of Defence Force to come away with the deserved win and a spot in the final.
The lone blemish for the Southerners was the late dismissal of defender Abishai Guy, who was shown a second yellow card by referee Williams for dissent.
In the two quarterfinals played at the Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin, earlier this month, Trincity Nationals had an emphatic 7-0 win over Play Fit Football Academy led by a beaver-trick from Natasha John while Defence Force was awarded a defaulted victory over St Augustine/Cunupia.