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Fri, Feb

Defence Force's Isaiah Leacock celebrates after scoring against Central FC during a TTPFL match at La Horquetta Recreation Ground on Friday, January 17th 2025.
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DENSILL THEOBALD, head coach of Defence Force said his team put in another workmanlike game as they rolled to their seventh straight victory of the 2024/2025 Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League (TTPFL) Tier One campaign on Friday night.

“I thought it was a credible performance by the players, especially the first 45 minutes against a good opposition,” Theobald, a former national midfielder, said of the 3-0 win over MIC Central FC Reboot.

“I thought we executed the strategy and game plan very well. So we know we are a team that is going to create chances and we know once we put our chances away, we make the game easier for us.”

Theobald said his players were able to utilise their quick counter-attacking pace to great effect against Central FC. “So all in all it, was a fantastic 45 minutes by the players and another three points which is important for us as we continue to press ahead,” he said. “Onto the next opponent now. We look forward to that challenge.”

Defence Force blew past the best defensive team to date, Central FC at the La Horquetta Phase II Recreation Ground.

The Defence Force/Central FC encounter was the second in a doubleheader at the venue. It was preceded by the match featuring third-place AC Port of Spain (POS) and Miscellaneous Police, in which defending champions AC PoS shut out their opponents 2-0.

But for the Army unit, the victory solidified them at the top of the Tier One standings with 21 points.

They penetrated the League’s best defensive team three times, making it Central FC’s single-worst defensive display this season in terms of goals allowed, while Defence Force shored up their back-line play to prevent the Jason Spence-coached Central FC from getting on the scoreboard.

The Army have had potency from several individuals since the start of the season and Friday, Isaiah Leacock scored a brace (11th and 38th minutes) to be the main scorer for Defence Force, while Shaquille Bertrand added another goal in the 16th minute.

Leacock has scored in all seven games this season and has nine in total and was probably trying to impress national senior men’s head coach Dwight Yorke and his assistants Russell Latapy and Derek King, who were in the stands scouting the local talent.

In the earlier match, coach Walt Noriega’s AC PoS squad retained third spot despite drawing level on points (15) with Central FC.

Central FC maintain second spot by being marginally superior goal difference (+7 to +6).

For AC PoS, the prolific Che Benny again got on the scorecard via a 73rd minute strike, while Josiah Wilson scored deep into time added on (90th + 9).

Noriega was more pleased with the outcome than his side’s execution.

“The team had a resolute defensive performance; the work we put in showed,” said Noriega. But he added: “We were not at our best possession-wise, but the guys worked well for the duration of the 90+ minutes. The main objective was to achieve the three points to maintain the momentum and keep in touching distance to the leaders.”

TTPFL TIER 1 RESULTS

Friday

TTDF 3 (Isaiah Leacock 11th, 38th; Shaquille Bertrand 16th) MIC Central FC Reboot 0

AC POS 2 (Che Benny 73rd; Josiah Wilson 90 + 9) Miscellaneous FC 0

TODAY’s TIER 1 GAMES

Club Sando vs FC Phoenix, 4 p.m.

Caledonia AIA vs Point Fortin Civic, 6 p.m. —Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin


SOURCE: T&T Express