San Juan Jabloteh dim North East Stars 5-2

DESPITE A poor turnout of supporters at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo yesterday, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh maintained their superiority over the rest in the T&T Pro League, crushing North East Stars by a 5-2 margin.

Jabloteh expected their lead over W Connection to eight points, while the Sangre Grande-based Stars stay in fourth spot with 17 points. To the surprise of many, referee John Danouse awarded a penalty to North East Stars in the 18th minute when striker Randolph Jerome was bundled over by defender Ansil Elcock. Jerome, who was noticeably offside, redeemed himself and buried his spotkick past Jabloteh goalkeeper and captain Kelvin Jack. Jabloteh equalised in the 34th, with Cornell Glen tapping home from close range after Otis Seaton’s shot ricocheted off defender Charles Pollard. Glen missed a chance to second goal ten minutes later, when his right-footed shot was pushed wide by veteran goalie Trevor Nottingham.

On the subsequent play, North East Stars regained the lead when a freekick from Glenton Wolffe was flicked on by brother Anthony with an unmarked Jerome diverting his header past a stranded Jack. But Jerome was lacking in support up front and, with Jabloteh displaying a renewed sense of purpose, North East Stars crumbled in the second half. From a quickly-taken Seaton freekick, in the 53rd minute, national defender Nigel Daniel whipped his left-side centre to the six-yard box where an onrushing Kerry Baptiste boomed his header past Nottingham.  Twelve minutes later, Glen blew past defender Wilfred Joseph on the left and, in the penalty box, saw his left-footed centre hit Pollard’s right arm. Pollard protested in vain as Danouse pointed to the spot, with Seaton blasting his penalty past Nottingham. The Jabloteh squad went for the kill, with Glen speeding past Joseph and shooting against the uprights in the 67th. From another counter-attack, right-winger Josh Johnson found Kerry Noray who shot home from ten metres out. And Noray registered his second goal three minutes later, with Noray tapping into the open net after Glen left Joseph for dead, again on the left flank.

In the earlier match of the doubleheader, Irvin Reyes and Kenwyn Matthews were on target as the Stars edged Jabloteh 2-1. Andre Alexis netted the lone item for Jabloteh, who remain top of the table with South Starworld Strikers on 19 points. W Connection can reduce Jabloteh’s lead to five points with victory over the cellar-placed Tobago United at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 4 pm. Starworld Strikers will host the struggling Caledonia AIA at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella while, in the clash of the mid-table teams, Joe Public will square off against South West Institute of Football (SWIF) at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya. But the encounter between the third-placed Defence Force and Arima Fire, scheduled for the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima has been postponed.