Seaton, Mitchell send San Juan Jabloteh clear

TRINIDAD AND Tobago midfielder Otis Seaton and national Under-23 striker Devon Mitchell scored a goal apiece to give CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh a 2-0 win over “Eastern Lions” Joe Public in Round 31 action of the T&T Pro League on Friday night. The sparse crowd at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Tunapuna almost left empty-handed (the earlier U-20 match was cancelled) due to the late notification of the match to the officials. Luckily, referee Richard Piper and assistants Ishmael St Bryce and Gordon Maloney turned out on the nick of time, which was of little distraction to Jabloteh who restored a 10-point advantage atop the standings.

It was also the case of brother versus brother as stand-in Jabloteh captain, defender Ansil Elcock was called upon to do a man-marking job on Joe Public’s striker Devin Elcock. Nevertheless, Jabloteh deservingly went ahead on the stroke on halftime. Midfielder Michael Celestine, with room in the middle, found a goal-bound Seaton who dribbled past Joe Public’s defender Devon Caseman and unleashed his 20-metre right footer past the despairing lunge of goalkeeper Kevin Graham. A similar move almost resulted in Jabloteh’s second in the 53rd, with a long ball from right-back Cyd Gray collected by Seaton and, after blowing past defender Seon Power, blasted his shot straight at Graham. But Graham, nicknamed “Barthez” by his teammates, is normally as erractic as the French goalie, and it showed in the 67th minute when he was caught off-guard by a right-side corner from veteran Angus Eve, which was headed home by the unmarked Mitchell, seconds after he entered the field to replace Celestine. Pro League action will resume on January 4.