Jean header puts down Charles-Fevrier’s men

A 72nd minute goal from W Connection’s captain Earl Jean proved to be the difference as W Connection edged the Trinidad and Tobago senior team 1-0 in an exhibition match yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

The encounter marked the opening of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Regional Associations’ 2003 season. It was also the first in charge for newly-appointed coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier. Under overcast conditions in front of a sparse crowd, the St Lucian-born would not have been pleased with the display of his troops. From the get-go, there were a lot of stray passes and rough tackling by both teams as each struggled to find any sort of rhythm and flow in their game plan. The first attacking move came in the 34th minute, with TT midfielder Silvio Spann clear on the left flank by defender Nigel Daniel but, with only Connection goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa to beat, send his left-footed shot wide. Four minutes later, striker Kendall Davis also blew his chance at goal, clipping the uprights with a lob from a lay-off by Andre Toussaint while, in the 39th, his shot from close range was blocked by Connection defender Rawle Fletcher.

Connection’s best effort in the first half came with a 25-metre blast by Ronaldo Viana in the 42nd, which was parried by TT goalie Peter Ramon-Fortune. With in-form striker Jason Scotland, temperamental midfielder Kerwyn Jemmott, defender Brent Sancho and debutant goalie Michael Jan-Williams introduced at the start of the second half, the TT lads blew two early chances to get the go-ahead goal. After dispossessing defender Addison Belfon in the 47th, Scotland ran through the heart of the Connection defence before he passed to an unmarked Jemmott who saw his tame left-footed shot blocked by Figueroa while, in the 52nd, he was sent on his way by Daniel and, with the goal at his mercy, tapped his shot wide. And those errors would later haunt the national team when, in the 72nd, Jose Luis Seabra evaded Josh Johnson on the left and sent his left-footed centre to Jean who headed past a flat-footed Jan-Williams.