North East keep lead in Pro League

AN 86th minute equaliser from Anthony Wolfe ensured North East Stars 2-2 draw with Arima/Morvant Fire and a valuable point, in their eighth round match at the Sangre Grande Recreation Ground. The point in Wednesday’s game helped “The Stars” retain the lead in the T&T Pro League. Starworld Strikers climbed to second in the standings following a 1-0 triumph over W Connection at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, with  prolific Guyanese striker Randolph Jerome scoring, from a Marc Borde centre in the 51st minute. The Sangre Grande crowd were sent into a frenzy when national striker Jerren Nixon put the hosts in front after one minute.

Fire stormed back with Dale Simon converting a 27th minute penalty and Abdullah Phillip giving the visitors the go-ahead goal in the 53rd. But Fire were unable to hold on to their lead, with Wolfe proving to be a hero for North East Stars. Back-to-back champs CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh moved to third in the eight-team table after they edged South West Drillers 2-1 at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground, in their first game with new English coach Steven Rutter in charge. National Under-23 striker Devon Mitchell netted both goals for Jabloteh, the first in the 29th minute and the other in the 83rd, while Wendell Joseph got the lone striker for Drillers in the 56th.

Defence Force overcame a tough Tobago United team to prevail 4-2 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. Joel Alleyne gave the winless Tobagonians a shock 12th minute advantage before Michael Edwards equalised for the Army-Coast Guard combination 15 minutes later. Receiving a return pass from Kevon Carter, the unmarked Edwards tapped into an open net. Carter gave the Teteron-based lads their first lead in the 28th, evading a defender on the right flank and drilling his left-footer past Tobago goalkeeper Deon Taylor.

But Substitute Deon Thomas levelled the scores for Tobago in the 44th minute following a goal-mouth scramble. Defence Force regained the initiative, however, to put the game beyond doubt with two goals in the space of three minutes. On a counter-attack in the 79th, substitute Jerwyn Balthazar found a goal-bound Carter who hit a low left-footer past Thomas and, in the 82nd, Balthazar sent a square ball, into the path of Kwesi Smith, again from the left, and he  rifled his drive past Thomas’ despairing lunge again from the left.