Jones leads Central FC past combative Police

The former Cardiff City forward came off the bench to score a late equaliser before winning a free kick that led to the go-head goal scored by Darren Mitchell as 10-man Central FC escaped Police FC with a 2-1 comeback at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

The win kept the two-time defending league champions ahead of the pack on 16 points, with rivals W Connection moving up a spot into second on 13 points following a comprehensive 4-0 win over St Ann’s Rangers in the second game of the Round One Match Day Six double-header.

Kurt Frederick scored twice in the first half before Jamal Charles and Andre Toussaint completed the comfortable Connection win.

Jones, who was sidelined for almost a month since being injured in a Caribbean Cup qualifying game against Martinique on October 12, had earlier on Friday been named by TT coach Stephen Hart in a 23-man Soca Warriors’ squad for forthcoming World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Costa Rica and Honduras.

The 32-year-old former England Premier League frontman, on loan at Central from Atlanta United, erased any doubts over his prowess ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifiers by heading Central level four minutes from time against Police, who had broken the deadlock seconds after Jones had entered play in the second half.

Police midfielder Kenaz Williams, netting for the first time since February 2015, gave the lawmen the lead on 58 minutes when his shot through a dangerous Andre Ettienne challenge clipped the defender’s leg to sail the ball over TT and Central goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams and into the back of the net.

It doubled the trouble for Central coach Dale Saunders, whose side were reduced to 10 men five minutes before the break after Kaydion Gabriel, who was booked just before the half hour mark for a high boot challenge, saw a second yellow from referee Keilon Bacchus for a tackle on Police left-back Nequan Caruth just over the halfway line.

But with four minutes left, it all went sour for coach Richard Hood’s team who suffered their third straight defeat.

Jones made it 1-1 when he towered in the Police area to head past his national teammate, goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, off a perfectly placed Jason Marcano.

Then, on the stroke of 90 minutes, team captain Darren Mitchell snatched the winner with his fifth league goal of the season. Jones was brought down above the area, Marcus Joseph unleashed a low freekick that clipped the wall, causing further problems for Foncette who was unable the stop the effort and Mitchell steered in the rebound from close it.

In the second game on the night, Rangers, who entered play on back-to-back wins and tied on 10 points with W Connection, were knocked out of the clouds by the Savonetta Boys, who picked up their fourth straight league win.

Frederick unleashed a rocket from 35 yards in the 35th minute for a 1-0 Connection lead after beating a fully stretched goalkeeper Cleon John, who had earlier denied Dimitrie Apai, Hughtun Hector and Toussaint.

Then from a similar distance after Toussaint rolled a free kick into his path in stoppage-time of the first half, Frederick completed his double to give his side a 2-0 cushion.

All fault of two Rangers’ players who allowed the left full-back time and space to position himself behind the ball before letting off another left footer that found the bottom corner of John’s net.

Connection completed the 4-0 rout with two more goals within a four-minute period in the second period, converted by substitute Jamal Charles in the 75th minute and Toussaint in the 78th minute, following crosses by Hector and substitute Alvin Jones, respectively, that Rangers failed to cut off.