Joe Public climb back on top

The result put Joe Public back atop the ten-team standings as overnight leaders CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh lost 2-1 to Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA.

Jabloteh slipped to third on the table, with North East Stars moving up one notch to second after spanking Tobago United 4-2. W Connection kept up their dreams of a repeat title alive after getting past Defence Force 2-1 while Superstar Rangers battled to a 1-1 draw against Starworld Strikers. At the Palo Seco Recreation Ground, the “Eastern Lions” took 85 minutes to break down the sturdy defence from the hosts, with Dwarika rolling back the years with a clinical strike to push his team to the top of the standings with 38 points, one more than North East Stars.

The Sangre Grande-based Stars were never in trouble as they handed Tobago United their 15th defeat of the season.

Veteran St Vincent midfielder Kendall Velox broke the deadlock after 16 minutes while Guyanese forward Nigel Codrington doubled the lead ten minutes later. Codrington’s countryman Kayode McKinnon widened the lead to 3-0 in the 33rd and Walter Moore effectively secured the win in the 37th.

Tobago tried valiantly to salvage any pride, with Sherwin Lee scoring in the 73rd and Kevin Adams notching a 90th minute penalty.

There was intense drama at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, as Kareem Joseph’s 83rd minute goal, seconds after Jason Marcano equalised for Jabloteh, gave Caledonia full points. Quincy Charles opened the scoring for AIA in the 22nd before Marcano equalised in the 83rd.

Before Jabloteh’s fans could compose themselves, Joseph notched the winner for the Morvant-based outfit. St Kitts’ striker George Isaac got the winner for Connection in the 68th as the “Savonetta Boys” edged the Army-Coast Guard combination at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Brazilian left-back William Da Silva Olliveira put Connection in front after 15 minutes but Devon Jorsling responded for the “Teteron lads” in the 26th, before Isaac ensured Connection will remain in the chase for the 2006 crown. In the second match of the Arima double-header, Guyanese striker Randolph Jerome got a 23rd minute opener for Starworld but his teammate Errol Charles netted an own goal in the 82nd to guarantee a share of the points for both Starworld and Rangers.