Top three win in Pro League

Pacesetters CLICO San Juan Jabloteh breezed past Ma Pau 2-0 at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, WConnection whipped Tobago United by a similar score-line at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet while Caledonia AIA edged St Ann’s Rangers 1- 0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima.

Two key Jabloteh players who made their national debuts this year, but have now fallen out of favour – midfielder Marvin Oliver and Jerol Forbes, got their names on the scoresheet in the 34th and 54th minutes respectively.

At Bacolet, past and present Trinidad and Tobago midfielders Jose Luiz Seabra (44th) and Clyde Leon (60th) found the back of the net while the “Eastern Lions” Joe Public also secured a place in the Lucozade sponsored Big Six tournament — the final round which features the top six teams after Round Three Match Day Nine — after mauling the disappointing Defence Force 5-0.

The faithful fans who turned up at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya saw a totally dominant first-half performance from the hosts, with Jamaican striker Roen Nelson netting twice (27th and 45th), while ex-TT midfielder Arnold Dwarika (12th) and another Jamaican, defender Christopher Harvey (30th) putting Joe Public 4-0 ahead at the interval.

National Under-23 striker Shane Calderon completed the rout in the 87th.

The result of the Caledonia-Rangers game was determined in the 35th courtesy of a strike from Kareem Joseph — the right-winger got a through ball, skipped over the sliding challenges of goalkeeper Shane Mattis and sweeper Joseph Peters before tucking home his right-footed shot inside the six-yard box.

Kendall Velox could have doubled the lead in the 58th, collecting an incisive pass from Hayden Tinto but having his right-footed shot saved on the second attempt by Mattis.

And Rangers, who have been inconsistent of late, had a chance of tying the scores in the 72nd, as Caledonia’s goalkeeper Michael Woods parried Christon Thomas’ right-sided cross straight to Keyon Edwards, but the striker’s left-footed drive was blocked by central defender Howard Lowe.

North East Stars confirmed their place in the last six after battling to a 1-1 draw against United Petrotrin in the second of back-to-back matches at Arima.

The game featured a new face for either team, with ex-national midfielder Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick joining North East on loan (similar to Brent Sancho) after his season for Atlanta Silverbacks in the United Soccer League (USL) in the USA ended; while TT Under-20 goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel recently transferred from Caledonia to Petrotrin.

There was even more drama as the quartet of officials who dealt with the Caledonia- Rangers game had to do double duties with the North East-Petrotrin contest (since the officiating team for the latter game failed to show) — Rashby McPhie took over the refereeing role from Nigel Roberts for the second match.

Petrotrin lost midfielder Simeon Augustus to a damaged left shoulder early in the contest while a black-out in the community halted the game for 20 minutes.

Nevertheless, each team benefitted from headers, off left-footed crosses, within the space of three minutes.

In the 37th, Fitzpatrick swung a cross from the left to his captain Anthony Wolfe who buried his header past Samuel while, in the 40th, after Fitzpatrick barged into Petrotrin’s Kennedy Hinkson, TT’s Keon Daniel whipped his free kick to the unmarked Kevon Woodley to finish from 10 metres out.

North East failed to secure full points in the 76th, as substitute Sylvester Teesdale’s free kick was met by Wolfe whose header was saved at point blank range by Samuel, while Randolph Jerome’s follow-up effort hit the post before it was cleared to safety.

In Round Three Match Day Nine action today, Rangers and Petrotrin will face off for the final Big Six spot at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground from 4 pm.

Rangers hold a superior goal difference to Petrotrin, therefore the season’s pace-setters need a win in order to leapfrog Rangers for a place in the last six.

In today’s other matches, Connection will oppose Caledonia at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva at four o’clock while, in a double-header at Arima, North East will square off against Defence Force at 4 pm while Joe Public will face Jabloteh two hours later.