Jabloteh, Central FC make winning starts

Jabloteh defeated Haiti’s Racing FC 2-0 in the first game of the opening double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo to top Group B, before Central FC, who defeated Trinidadian rivals W Connection in the last two CFU Club Championship title matches, shook off an early deficit to dispatch Antigua/ Barbuda’s Grenades FC 3-1 to lead Group A.

Nathan Lewis, for his fifth goal of the 2017 campaign, fired the 2003 Caribbean champions Jabloteh ahead five minutes into the second half before a Joseph Mitchelson’s own goal 16 minutes from time put the game out of the Haitians’ reach.

Central, though, needed a Jason Marcano equaliser, a cannon- of-a-strike by Carlos Edwards, and a 25-yard Nathaniel Garcia cracker to get past Grenades after the Antiguans had taken the early lead through striker Tevaughn Harriette.

Harriette had the simple task of slotting home from close-up against the run of play, in what turned out the only real attack on the Central goal, after the defending champions new goalkeeper signing Ryan “Godda” Thompson was hung out to dry by his defence who failed to cut out a squared pass across the area by Grenades captain Rakeem Henry.

In the 38th minute Marcano put Central – who received a bye to the final round as defending champions – level with a wonderful volley off Englishman Lloyd Bannister’s cross from the right.

Carlos Edwards, a TT 2006 World Cup player and former England- based defender, then hammered past Michaud Barrett to give the 2015 and 2016 Caribbean champions the lead for the first time a minute from the half.

The 39-year-old former Wrexham and Sunderland player, turned back the clock from just inside the top of the box after running onto a sumptuous feed from Sean De Silva.

But still, the newlook Central, due to a number of new player personnel changes, were nothing of the side that only two months ago recorded the historic Digicel Pro League three-peat although getting business done against the Antiguans.

It was not until five minutes from time that Garcia finally knocked the fight out of Grenades with his strike from distance.

Earlier, Jabloteh were the better side against Racing, but only took the lead on 50 minutes when Lewis, who combined brilliantly on the left with Kion Joseph, evaded two defenders before sending a low finish beyond the Haitian side’s goalkeeper Maurisseau Bergeot and into the far bottom corner.

And, in the 74th minute, Mitchelson inadvertently directed a Keithy Simpson’s dangerous ball across the area past his own goalkeeper, Bergeot.

Racing and Grenades will wrap up their second and final group fixtures today — at the same venue — against Jamaica’s Portmore United (5.30 pm) and Dominica Republic’s Cibao (8 pm), respectively, while Jabloteh and Central will complete group play against Portmore (5.30 pm) and Cibao (8 pm), respectively, on Thursday.

(ttproleague.com)