Connection confirmed as champs

The "Big Six" is the final phase of action in the 2005 Pro League season.

Overall, Connection have 48 points from 20 matches, 13 more than CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh with only four rounds of matches remaining.

Connection were held to a 2-2 draw by Defence Force at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella while Jabloteh were spanked 3-0 by North East Stars at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima.

In the first match of the double-header at Arima, Caledonia AIA/Fire and United Petrotrin battled to a 2-2 tie.

Guyanese striker Randolph Jerome put Connection ahead after 10 minutes of play, before national defender Anton Pierre levelled the scores in the 56th. Captain Earl Jean restored Connection’s initiative in the 65th but Bevon Lewis got the game-saving equaliser for Defence Force five minutes from full-time.

The handful of supporters that turned up at the Arima venue witnessed a goal within the first minute for Caledonia, courtesy of a successfully-taken free-kick from Nigel Pierre.

Petrotrin had a chance to level the scores in the 39th, with veteran striker Peter Prosper seeing his header, from an Anthony Rougier free-kick, saved by Michael Woods while Kevon Clement’s rebound effort was cleared off the line by Sheldon Emmanuel.

Woods also thwarted a shot by Prosper in the 41st while, on the opposite end, Petrotrin’s goalkeeper Ken Francis was forced to block a shot from Devon Modeste in the 45th.

While Shawn Bishop and Modeste both missed close-range attempts early in the second half, Petrotrin made Caledonia pay in the 59th when Prosper collected a deep ball from Al Sinclair, turned past his marker Anthony Haynes and drilled his left-footer beyond Woods’ lunge.

AIA/Fire regained the lead two minutes later, when Bishop headed a Kayode McKinnon’s corner past the flat-footed Petrotrin defence.

Handel Manswell had the chance to put the match beyond Petrotrin’s reach in the 78th, as he collected a feed from Modeste and rifled his right-footer against the crossbar.

That miss would prove costly as substitute striker Jerol Forbes collected a through ball from Clement, in the 88th, and powered his left-footer past Woods.

The second match of the night got off to an exciting start, as North East’s player-coach Jerren Nixon saw his 16th minute left-footed free-kick crash against the crossbar while, two minutes later, Nigel Daniel met an Angus Eve’s free-kick but saw his header blocked by Trevor Nottingham.

In the 19th, Anthony Wolfe almost put North East in front in comical fashion, as Jabloteh’s keeper Daurance Williams allowed a tame 30-metre effort to go through his grasp and almost trickle over the goal-line while Gary Glasgow received a 35th minute pass from Walter Moore but saw his right-footer went wide off the mark.

North East’s persistence paid off in the 48th, as Glenton Wolfe got past Jabloteh’s Marcelle Francois on the right and, after his left-sided centre was parried by Williams, Nixon was on hand to drill his left-footer home.

Jabloteh, missing the suspended pair of Ian Gray and Dexter Franklyn, as well as right-back Cyd Gray (back from national duties in Bahrain) and the hard-working Keyeno Thomas, fielded the youthful defensive trio of Francois, Ronald Primus and Karlon Murray, in addition to left-back Daniel.

Their inexperience showed in the 50th, as veteran midfielder Kevin Jeffrey blew past Daniel and, after his pass was muffed by Murray, Glasgow collected the loose ball and calmly tucked it past the hapless Williams.

Glasgow had an easy chance to compound Jabloteh’s misery three minutes later, as he was sent clear by Nixon but, with Williams beaten, sent his right-footer wide.

Despite the expulsion of Jeffrey for his second bookable offence in the 64th, there was no stopping North East, as Jabloteh failed to clear an 84th minute corner from Glasgow and Keryn Navarro deflected Kendall Jagdeosingh’s effort into the back of the net.