Connection push title race to final round

Defending champions Central FC played St Ann’s Rangers yesterday and needed a victory to regain top spot going into the last round.

Connection, with one game left against Ma Pau Stars, are on 43 points, two points ahead of Central (41 points) who also have a game against San Juan Jabloteh (27 points).

The decisive Connection goal arrived on 56 minutes when Hector, who replaced Grenada international Jamal Charles immediately after the break, guided a half volley out of goalkeeper Javon Sample’s reach and into the far netting.

It was a captain’s goal in every sense. Hector’s side desperately needed to find a way against a very physical Jabloteh side that seemed unwilling to let up.

A superb one-handed save by Jabloteh’s recent goalkeeper signing, Sample, 18 minutes into the contest kept out a curling Alvin Jones free-kick that was destined for the far top corner—it was Connection’s best chance of a tense first half. However, even with Sample, at full stretch, Hector broke the deadlock after connecting on Neil Benjamin’s improvised cross which looped high inside the area—under challenge from defender Akeem Benjamin.

Twelve minutes later the 32-yearold Hector executed a spectacular volley off a right side Jones cross, but a magnificent Sample was equal to the test, not once, but twice after also denying the midfielder on the quick rebound.

Hector, needless to say, had done enough when his side most needed with his seventh league goal this season.

Earlier at the Couva venue, Akeem Roach continued his rich form by scored twice to help Club Sando hold off bottom-placed Point Fortin Civic 3-2 in a feisty affair.

Roach stretched his lead at the top of this season’s league scorers’ list— three goals ahead of the pack—with 14 goals while his side improved their fifth position with 24 points, one less than fourth-positioned Ma Pau who face Morvant Caledonia United today from 3:30pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

Roach, 20 years old, snatched the winner just after the hour mark after the scores were tied at two-all at the break.

Kevon Piper opened the scoring in the 23rd-minute, hitting off the underside of the bar to beat Civic goalkeeper Miles Goodman and give Sando a 1-0 lead after a left side Akeem Humphrey cross strolled freely across the six-yard area.

Then two minutes later, with new national coach Dennis Lawrence looking on from the stands, Roach unleashed a rocket from 25-yards out that Goodman was no match for to put Sando 2-0 ahead.

Civic, however, pulled a goal back by the 33rd minute when Akeem Redhead’s fierce angled strike deflected off defender Nicholas Thomas and into the back of goalkeeper Kelvin Henry’s net.

Teenagers Nion Lammy and Darnell Hospidales then combined to level Civic 2-2 at the stroke of half-time with the latter guiding squared pass onto the underside of the bar before it sunk into the back of the Sando goal.

Roach struck in the 65th-minute by finding the 3-2 winner with a clinical finish into the bottom corner of Goodman’s net after controlling a Nical Stephens cross off his chest.