Jabloteh go one up in CFU final

VETERAN midfielder Angus Eve led from the front on Wednesday night, scoring both goals as CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh defeated W Connection 2-1 in the first leg of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship final.

Fans at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella were treated to end-to-end football, inter-spiced with controversy, by the nation top two teams, seeking an advantage ahead of the second leg scheduled for the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on December 28. Eve, wearing the captain’s armband instead of injured national goalkeeper Kelvin Jack, put the visitors in front after 20 minutes of play, sending his shot (from a right-side centre) past Connection’s goalie Alejandro Figueroa. The pace of the game picked up as Connection sought the equalising goal, which came in the 40th minute through midfielder Gefferson Goulart, the Brazilian-born playmaker slammed his shot past Jabloteh’s custodian Daurance Williams after delightful work by the dreadlocked Arnold Dwarika on the left. If the crowd were delighted with Dwarika’s move on the left flank, when he rounded his marker Trent Noel, then they were spellbound when Eve restored Jabloteh’s lead a minute afterwards.

Moving down through the middle Eve played a one-two with striker Cornell Glen, rounded left-back Jose Luis Seabra and, from the tightest of angles, delicately placed his shot past the reach of Figueroa. National youth team defender Kenwyne Jones almost made something out of nothing in the 44th, from a Jabloteh defensive clearance, his right-side cross missed the mark by inches. The second half was equally eventful, Jabloteh’s attacker Otis Seaton (Aurtis Whitley) sent Glen clear in the 55th and, after blowing pass Connection’s captain Reynold Carrington inside the 18-yard box, his left-footed shot sailed overbar. Five minutes later a deflected Dwarika freekick was acrobatically saved by Williams but Connection had reason to feel aggrieved in the 69th.

With Williams about to deliver the ball from his area, Connection’s reserve striker Earl Jean, a few feet outside the box, jumped instantaneously, causing the ball to rebound off his (Jean’s) back and trickle into the goal. But Jean was totally bemused when he was subsequently given a yellow card by referee Jaggernauth Goolcharan, contrary to the law 16 of the Laws of Football that state “opponents of the team taking the goal-kick shall remain outside the penalty area until the ball has been kicked out of the penalty area.” Connection could not rebound from that setback, but Jabloteh failed on four attempts in the final ten minutes to extend their aggregate lead.