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Kareem Joseph (left) of Caledonia AIA is confronted by Ma Pau's Elton John in Friday's Pro League match of the Hasley Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. ...Author: ROGER JACOB (T&T Newsday).Defence Force brought back some memories of the good old days when they grabbed an action-packed 3-1 victory over defending champions Joe Public in yesterday’s Digicel Pro League clash at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.

It was the Army’s fifth victory on the trot and sets up a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash against Ma Pau on Friday.

Defence Force drew first blood as the hot team of the 2010 season were soon into a 1-0 lead, midfielder Jerwyn Baltazar curling a shot inside the far post with the help of a small deflection.

And Devon Jorsling should have had another goal on the very next attack a minute later, sweeping a low shot wide, after brilliant overlapping work up the flank by Aklie Edwards.

Still, the Army continued to look the more dangerous team and except for a last-minute lunging tackle from Nigel Daniel, speedy Kevon Carter would have been clear.

Then came a bizzarre moment when Joe Public striker Andre Toussiant was ejected by referee Lee Davis, after picking up yellow cards in the 22nd and 29th minutes.

Both of Toussaint’s infractions came for ’diving’ but, ironically, on the second offence he could have scored if not going down dramatically under a challenge from keeper Kevin Graham.

Toussaint’s ejection seemed to spur on Joe Public, who suddenly found life and spent the next ten minutes pushing the Army back.

The murmurs had hardly died down after Toussaint’s red card when Joe Public were level at 1-1 in the 31st via a Carlyle Mitchell header. And but for a Marvin Phillip stop, striker Kerry Baptiste might have given the champs the lead with a hot shot into the chest of custodian Graham.

But Defence Force were back in front again at 2-1 in the 40th, Jorsling seeming to trick keeper Phillip by placing his free-kick in at the near post.

Once ahead, Defence Force again ran at Joe Public with pace, coming close a couple times before the half ended. 

Joe Public came within a whisker of equalising early in the second half and even former Army keeper Selwyn George was remarking ’great save’ after Graham spectacularly touched the ball away from his far corner, after defender Edwards had re-directed a cross goalwards.

Graham was again spectacular, stopping attempts from subs Kareem Young and Conrad Smith, both of whom hit rasping shots from the top of the box.

But, the Army seem to be made of sterner stuff this season and they went further ahead in the 69th, when defender Keston Williams powerfully headed in Jorsling’s corner.

Defence Force also lost a player in the 72nd, Sean Narcis picking up a second yellow for a senseless tackle while escorting Mitchell down the flank.

They then almost went on to embarrass Joe Public. Jorsling had a spectacular try from long range and just missed the far post and later keeper Phillip pushed his low shot up onto the crossbar.

Caledonia lose to Ma Pau.

Ma Pau SC applied further pressure on 2010 Digicel Pro League leaders Defence Force after scoring a 2-0 win over Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille, but San Juan Jabloteh lost further ground when managing only a 0-0 draw with St Ann’s Rangers on Friday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Ma Pau scored early and late items--a fourth minute penalty converted by Anthony Wolfe and an injury-time goal by substitute Shandel Samuel--taking the Michael McComie-coached unit to 12 points, three behind leaders Defence Force, who beat Joe Public 3-1 yesterday and also have a game in hand.

Now in ninth position, Caledonia have already lost three of five matches this season.

Ma Pau were ahead after being awarded a penalty when Ishmael Daniel was ruled to have fouled Rennie Britto just inside the area and referee Lee Davis wasted no time pointing to the spot.

Wolfe took the challenge of putting away the penalty and he did so comfortably to the right of goalkeeper Kevin Graham.

Caledonia were unfortunate not to level the scores in the 34th minute after Densill Theobald showed some good skill to beat Wolfe with an over the head flick and find Ryan Stewart, who then displayed some neat footwork before unleashing a shot, only to see it deflect over for a corner.

Caledonia were then fortunate in the 45th minute when referee Davis only handed goalkeeper Graham a yellow card when fouling speedy attacker Trevin Caesar just outside the area, after the Ma Pau player had already evaded him to shoot on goal.

The Morvant/Laventille defence collapsed in the 90th minute when a low cross evaded them before Vincentian forward Samuel tapped it in at the back post for a 2-0 Ma Pau victory.

Earlier on, Rangers managed their third draw of the season with a goalless finish against Jabloteh.

Rangers moved up a spot into seventh with six points, while Jabloteh jumped two positions into third with nine points next to their name and ahead of W Connection on goal difference.

Ma Pau SC 2—0 Caledonia AIA
Anthony Wolfe 4’(pen), Shandel Samuel 90+’

Teams

Ma Pau SC—Alejandro Figueroa, Lyndon Andrews (capt), Seon Power, Anthony Wolfe (Curtis Gonzales 73rd), Mikeil Williams, Keyeno Thomas, Kerry Noray (Yellow) (Kevin Molino 90th), Rennie Britto, Elton John, Trevin Caesar (Shandel Samuel 84th), Lester Peltier.

Coach—Michael McComie.

Caledonia AIA—Kevin Graham, Stephen David (capt), Daneil Cyrus (Yellow), Ryan Stewart (Sherron Joseph 74th), Shawn Beveney (Kerry Daniel 69th), Abdallah Phillips, Kareem Joseph, Walter Moore, Akim Armstrong (Hayden Vincent 69th), Densill Theobald (Yellow), Ismael Daniel.

Coach—Jamaal Shabazz.


Rangers, Jabloteh tangle to a goalless draw.
By: Randy Bando (ttprolague).


St. Ann’s Rangers managed their third draw of the season with a goalless finish against San Juan Jabloteh on Friday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Round One Match Day Six Super Friday action.

Rangers moved up a spot in seventh position with 6 points while Jabloteh jumped two positions into third with 9 points next to their name and ahead of W Connection by goals difference.

W Connection will be in action on Saturday from 4pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium against DIRECTV North East Stars as Round One Match Day Six action continues on the weekend.

Also in action on Saturday are leaders Defence Force who have been put under pressure by Woodbrook based Ma Pau SC following a 2-0 win against Caledonia AIA in the second match of the Super Friday double header.

Ma Pau got on the scoresheet very early when Anthony Wolfe converted a penalty in the 4th minute and wrapped up the 2-0 victory with a late Shandell Samuel item in the 90th to hold the same 12 points as Defence Force but behind by goals difference.

But the earlier match between Rangers and Jabloteh ninety minutes proved insufficient for both sides to find the back of the net.

Rangers had an opportunity in the ninth minute when Odelle Armstrong slid into the area to guide Devon Modeste’s cross towards goal but it was an easy take for goalkeeper Cleon John.

Ten minutes later Armstrong was a whisker wide after making room for himself outside the area and letting off a low leftfooted effort which goalkeeper John scrambled to cover.

But the Jabloteh number one measured a brilliant Kwame Wiltshire effort with a fine save pushing the curling effort from distance over bar for a corner in the 20th minute as the match progressed.

Jabloteh’s best opening effort came in the 33rd minute when Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Viana from inside the area headed Jason Marcano’s cross overbar.

Marcano later sent a low blast towards the near corner in the 37th minute, but what seemed destined for the opening item was cancelled out by a great save by goalkeeper Daurance Williams putting it behind for a corner.

In the second period both sides created a number of raids on either end, however the deadlock wasn’t broken.

Josimar Belgrave had Rangers’ best opening of the second half when in the 64th minute a cross from the right beat everyone to fall to his feet at the back but squandered just wide of the far corner.

Jabloteh too missed the target in the 78th minute when substitute Ataullah Guerra’s effort took a deflection and over bar, and in the 90th minute defender Noel Williams headed over from Marcano’s decent cross from the right.

On Saturday Defence Force visit Bmobile Joe Public from 5pm at the Marvin Lee Stadium in a clash of the current leaders and defending champions and Tobago United host Police FC from 5pm at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in a bottom of the table clash.

Teams

St Ann's Rangers—Daurance Williams, Devon Modeste (capt), Elijah Belgrave, Javon Wilson, Kwame Wiltshire (Kashif Thomas 70th), Josimar Belgrave, Nicholas Valentine, Odelle Armstrong, Clevon McFee, Joseph Peters, Adrian Narine (Beville Joseph 80th).

Coach—Anthony Streete.

San Juan Jabloteh—Cleon John, Marvin Oliver (capt), Karlon Murray, Noel Williams, Elijah Manners, Ronaldo Viana (Jack Weedon 79th), Jason Marcano, Cyrano Glen (Ataullah Guerra 46th), Joel Russell, Jamal Jack, Jerrel Britto (Johan Peltier).

Coach—Terry Fenwick.


Army sound warning, defeat ‘Eastern Lions’.
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).


Defence Force showed that they will be a force this year when they whipped reigning champs Joe Public 3-1 at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on Saturday, as action in Round One Match Day Six of the Digicel Pro League took place.

Jerwyn Balthazar, Devon Jorsling and Keston Williams found the back of the net for the league-leaders, while Carlyle Mitchell got Joe Public’s consolation.

Defence Force’s coach Ross Russell, in a recent interview on the Pro League website, stressed that the cohesion and camaraderie within the team have seen them race to the top of the standings.

They showed that their form has been no fluke with a convincing display against the 2009 champs, who welcomed back Mitchell, captain Kerry Baptiste and midfielder Trent Noel to their starting line-up.

Balthazar’s deflected right-footer, after 18 minutes, opened the scoring but Joe Public lost the numerical advantage in the 29th when attacker Andre Toussaint was sent off by referee Neal Brizan.

After he was booked for diving in the penalty box, under a challenge from Dean Pacheco, in the 22nd, Toussaint went down easily after a sliding challenge from goalkeeper Kevin Graham, and Brizan decided to end Toussaint’s match as a result.

However, Joe Public were spurred on by that scenario, and equalised in the 31st when defender Mitchell rose to head Noel’s freekick, from the right, past the outstretched Graham.

Baptiste, who was clearly favouring his injured right thigh, had a chance to put Joe Public in front, minutes later, following a long run by defender Makan Hislop, Baptiste was sent on goal but his right-footer was denied by the keeper.

That miss proved crucial two minutes later (37th) as Jorsling, the season’s in-form player, curled a left-footed freekick to the left of goalie Marvin Phillip to restore Defence Force’s lead.

Williams nearly got his name on the scoresheet 13 minutes into the second-half, as his attempted clearance, from a Noel left-side cross, had to be saved by an alert Graham.

The veteran Defence Force keeper did well to save two right-footed blasts from substitutes Kareem Young and Conrad Smith, and Williams rewarded his keeper’s work with his first goal of the season. In the 69th minute, the defender leapt and headed Jorsling’s right-sided corner past the right side of a flat-footed Phillip.

Ironically, Defence Force was reduced to ten men when midfielder Sean Narcis got a quick pair of yellow cards, while Jorsling tested Phillip with a pair of left-footed efforts, one of which slipped out of the keeper’s hand and crashed against the uprights.

And Graham ensured there will be no late comeback as he did well to parry a right-footed effort from Micah Lewis.

In the clash of the table-proppers, Tobago United earned their first victory of the season, by a 3-1 margin over the win-less Police at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet. Striker Kevon Woodley registered a hat-trick for Tobago United, in the eighth, 25th and 81st minutes, while Keron Clarke pulled one back in the 58th.

And, at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, North East Stars moved up to third place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over W Connection.

North East’s veteran forward Errol McFarlane broke the deadlock after ten minutes but teenager Shahdon Winchester replied in the 27th. however, a recent acquisition, Colombian Milton Gomez, netted the winner in the 75th.

On Friday, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Ma Pau defeated Caledonia AIA 2-0 while San Juan Jabloteh were held to a goal-less draw by St Ann’s Rangers. Matches in Round One Match Day Seven will take place this weekend (Friday and Saturday).

Teams

Joe Public—Marvin Phillip, Kerry Baptiste (capt), Carlyle Mitchell, Keion Goodridge, Makan Hislop (Yellow), Yu Hoshide (Kareem Young 46th), Andre Toussaint (Y+Y=R), Hayden Tinto (Micah Lewis 62nd), Nigel Daniel, Marcus Joseph (Conrad Smith 63rd), Trent Noel.

Coach—Derek King.

Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt), Keston Williams, Devin Jordon, Devon Jorsling (Yellow), Kerry Joseph (Yellow) (Owen Matthews 58th) Kevon Carter, Jerwyn Balthazar (Michael Edwards 81st) (Yellow), Sean Narcis (Y+Y=R), Aklie Edwards, Dexter Pacheco.

Coach—Ross Russell.

Full Results

Friday
04:06:10, 6:00pm, St Ann’s Rangers 0 v San Juan Jabloteh 0, Hasely Crawford Stadium

04:06:10, 8:00pm, Ma Pau SC 2 (Anthony Wolfe 4-Pen, Shandel Samuel 90) v Caledonia AIA 0, Hasely Crawford Stadium

Saturday
05:06:10, 4:00pm, North East Stars 2 (Errol McFarlane 10, Milton Gomez 75) v W Connection 1 (Shahdon Winchester 27), Larry Gomes Stadium

05:06:10, 5:00pm, Joe Public 1 (Carlyle Mitchell 31) v Defence Force 3 (Jerwyn Balthazar 18, Devon Jorsling 37, Keston Williams 69), Marvin Lee Stadium

05:06:10, 5:00pm, Tobago United 3 (Kevon Woodley 8, 25, 81) v Police FC 1 (Keron Clarke 58), Dwight Yorke Stadium

05:06:10, FC South End - BYE