Army keep Jabloteh in check

LEADERS CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh were unable to restore their eight-point advantage in the T&T Pro League after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Defence Force at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Monday night. Trinidad and Tobago Under-23 strikers Devon Mitchell and Kevon Carter got their names on the scoresheet, with Mitchell’s 18th minute strike cancelled out by Carter’s reply in the 38th. Everything was going well for Jabloteh early on, with defender Nigel Daniel forcing Defence Force’s goalkeeper Cleon John to clear a low freekick after 11 minutes.

Seven minutes later Mitchell put Jabloteh in front. After recently-acquired striker Nigel “Croc” Pierre sent Josh Johnson clear on the right flank, the winger picked out his national Under-23 team-mate who, unmarked in the six-yard box, headed past a bewildered John. Despite the soggy conditions, Jabloteh kept up the pressure on the Army-Coast Guard combination, with a low shot from Pierre cleared off the line by defender Michael Edwards in the 32nd while, three minutes later, John did well to punch away a stinging 25-metre blast from Trent Noel. But, against the run of play, the Teteron lads got the equaliser in the 38th —- after defender Ian Gray failed to clear a right-side centre from Kevin Williams, a lurking Carter was on hand to rifle his shot past Jabloteh’s goalie Kelvin Jack.

Neither team managed to break the deadlock in the second half, despite the efforts of Jabloteh’s substitute Otis Seaton in the 71st and 84th. In the first instance Seaton, with a change of speed, blew past Edwards on the right and centred to Kerry Baptiste who skied his shot overbar while, with a similar move six minutes from time, Seaton took the shot himself but was blocked by John. Three matches are on schedule today. Third-placed North East Stars head over to the sister isle to face Tobago United at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, at 7 pm; while South Starworld Strikers, seven points adrift in fourth spot, will host “the Stallions” Caledonia AIA at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, also at 7 pm. Both games will be preceded by their Under-20 encounters at 5 pm while, at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground, South West Institute of Football (SWIF) welcomes Arima Fire for a senior division clash at 6 pm.