Petrotrin win Toyota Classic

The game saw a stray dog hold up play for two minutes as it defecated, while Rangers’ coach Anthony Streete needed medical attention after he was struck by an object, thrown from the crowd, in first-half stoppage time.

But those moments did nothing to tarnish a wonderful night for Petrotrin, who copped the first prize of $30,000, while Rangers received the runners-up cheque valued at $20,000.

Petrotrin took ten minutes to create the first scoring opportunity in the match when Kevon Clement’s left-footed effort just sailed overbar after the Rangers’ defence was unable to properly deal with a left-sided centre from Jerol Forbes.

But the deadlock was broken three minutes later by Joseph, who sent his looping header over Awai after Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 defender Corneal Thomas failed to head away another left-sided cross, this time from Teesdale.

Rangers looked surprisingly lethargic and re-active in the early stages of the match, and they went further behind in the 23rd, as Teesdale met a freekick from his captain Anthony Rougier and placed his header beyond the reach of goalkeeper Shurland Awai.

Shem McFarlane was sent free by Rangers’ playmaker Kerwyn “Hardest” Jemmott in the 37th but could not direct his left-footer goal-bound.

After Rougier decided to tidy up following the canine’s intervention, Jemmott forced a brilliant save from Petrotrin’s Tristan Charles after he was teed up by another ex-national player Errol McFarlane.

When it seemed like Rangers were getting into the match, they suffered a major body-blow in the 45th. Veteran defender Don Morris, in no-man’s land, was stripped off the ball by Kevon Clement who sent Forbes clear on goal.

The striker held off the challenge from sweeper Milton Fabian Garcia, waited on Awai to commit to the play, and freed up Teesdale on the left who drilled his left-footer into the empty net.

Rangers finally came to life in the second half, but their efforts, mainly from dead-ball situations and crosses on the right, were blunted by the Rangers defence, which were well-marshalled by Rougier and the alertness of Charles between the uprights.

Midfielder Lorne Joseph tested Charles with a stinging right-footed drive in the 49th while McFarlane’s header sailed inches overbar as he met a Colin Roberts’ freekick in the 52nd.

Charles produced a magnificent airborne save to deny a powerful shot by Morris, inside the penalty box, in the 55th.

And three minutes later McFarlane could only look on in agony as he again met a right-sided freekick by Roberts, but his header hit the post and trickled outside of play with Charles’ motionless.

Nothing seemed to work for Rangers, as their attacks were repelled by the sturdy Petrotrin’s backline and, to complete their night of misery, Teesdale notched his hat-trick in the 86th.

After Roberts impeded a surging run on the left by substitute Marlon Lewis, national Under-20 midfielder Keon Daniel’s freekick picked out an unmarked Teesdale who rose above the confused defence and planted his header beyond the flat-footed Awai.

In the third-placed play-off, Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA needed kicks from the penalty spot to defeat Defence Force 4-3 after both teams were locked at 1-1 after regulation time.

Sterlin Arjoon, Kareem Joseph, Shawn Bishop and Colombia-born Julio Cesar De La Rosa were the successful penalty-takers for Caledonia, who earned $10,000 for their efforts during the tournament.

Baptiste, Corey Rivers and Anton Joseph replied for the “Teteron Lads,” who collected $5,000.

During full-time, Quincy Charles put Caledonia in front after 30 minutes before a left-footer from Christian Baptiste put the Army-Coast Guard combination on level terms in the 50th.

In other post-match awards, Tristan Charles was named as the “Most Valuable Player” of the final and Teesdale got the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.

Teams -

SUPERSTAR RANGERS: Shurland Awai; Milton Fabian Garcia, Don Morris, Corneal Thomas, Colin Roberts; Lorne Joseph, Todd Ryan (Christon Thomas 64th), Kerwyn Cooper, Kerwyn Jemmott (Ricardo Aleong 72nd); Shem McFarlane (Marlon Bowen 77th), Errol McFarlane (capt).

PETROTRIN: Tristan Charles; Anthony Rougier (capt), Larry Bacchus, Al Sinclair, Anthony Haynes; Romauld Aguillera, Kevon Clement, Beville Joseph (Lee Haynes 79th), Sylvester Teesdale, Keon Daniel; Jerol Forbes (Marlon Lewis 70th).