Joe Public, Jabloteh prevail in CFU Club Championship

Joe Public’s captain Kerry Baptiste led the scoring with a pair (14th and 31st minutes), while Yu Hoshide (26th), Trent Noel (55th) and off- season acquisition Andre Toussaint (90th) added one apiece in the one-sided rout. Baptiste opened his account within quarter-of-an-hour, heading to the right of goalkeeper Robert Perre after the defence failed to clear a left- sided ball from winger Micah Lewis.

The 2009 Pro League and TTFF “Player of the Year” had a hand in his team’s second, releasing Lewis on the left with a neat back-heel flick and, after the defence made a hash of his return pass to Baptiste, Hoshide rushed in to place his left footer past the crowded penalty box. Five minutes later, a deep ball from defender Carlyle Mitchell picked out Baptiste who calmly lobbed the advancing Perre, while the Walking Boys’ defence appealed in vain for an off-side call.

There were times when Joe Public could have extended the lead, none more so than in the 45th, when Hoshide broke the off-side trap and sent a ball, from the right, to Lewis who embarrassingly shot straight to Perre with the entire goal at his mercy. Ten minutes into the second-half, Noel unleashed a 30-metre right-footer which whizzed over the fingertips of Perre, a spectacular shot after a slow start to the period.

Things got worse for the Surinamese when substitute striker Sergio Arupa got his marching orders by referee Courtney Campbell, in the 62nd, for a second bookable offence. Another new recruit by Joe Public, goalie Marvin Phillip, thwarted Walking Boys’ closest goal-scoring chance, in the 85th, as he came off his line to deny forward Elias Afonsoewa.

Joe Public never gave up attacking the Walking Boys defence, and Toussaint completed the scoring in the dying seconds, drilling a low right-footer past the flat-footed Perre. Alpha United’s team consisted of seven players with Pro League experience – captain Howard Lowe, fellow defenders Brion Baker, Kester Jacobs and Kelvin McKenzie, midfielder Shawn Bishop, forwards Dwight Peters and Anthony Abrams.

Jabloteh, who qualified automatically for the Second Round, got the breakthrough in the 28th minute when Jacobs’ attempted header, back to his goalie Ronston Williams, was intercepted by Jason Marcano who placed his header into the vacant net. Alpha tried in vain to tie the scores, but their efforts, and energy, came to naught when Marcano doubled the lead in the 65th, again courtesy of a defensive lapse.

A mistake by McKenzie allowed Marcano to wrong-foot Williams, as he sent his right-footer to Williams’ left, inside the penalty box. In a game of very few goal-scoring chances, Lowe had the opportunity to pull one back in stoppage time, when referee Raymond Bogle awarded a penalty after an infringement by Jabloteh’s central defender Karlon Murray.

But Lowe’s effort produced a good save, to his right, by Jabloteh’s custodian Cleon John. Walking Boys will be looking to keep their hopes of winning the group alive when they meet System 3 of St Vincent/Grenadines today in the first of back-to-back matches at the Marvin Lee Stadium. Kick-off time is 6 pm.

And, two hours later, Alpha United will be aiming for a much-needed win against River Plate of Puerto Rico. Teams –

JOE PUBLIC: Marvin Phillip; Radanfah Abu Bakr, Carlyle Mitchell, Keion Goodridge, Makan Hislop; Kareem Young, Trent Noel, Micah Lewis, Hayden Tinto (Gorean Highley 58th), Yu Hoshide (Andre Toussaint 63rd); Kerry Baptiste (capt) (Conrad Smith 76th).

WALKING BOYS: Robert Perre; Felter Marlon (capt), Jermain Van Dijk, Rinaldo Lupson, Ferdinand Jap A Joe (Clifton Tjin Liep Shie 55th); Alex Soares, Regillio Kemper, Bebeto Odang, Fabian Van Dijk; Elias Afonsoewa, Vangellino Sastromedijo (Sergio Arupa 35th).

SAN JUAN JABLOTEH: Cleon John; Karlon Murray, Robert Primus, Noel Williams, Sheldon Bateau; Marvin Oliver (capt), Anton Hutchinson (Atualla Guerra 73rd), Elijah Manners, Kennedy Hinkson (Cyrano Glen 76th); Jason Marcano, Willis Plaza (Cordell Cato 84th).

ALPHA UNITED: Ronston Williams; Howard Lowe (capt), Kelvin McKenzie, Kester Jacobs, Dwain Jacobs; Philbert Moffatt, Troylan Williams, Dwight Peters, Shawn Bishop; Anthony Abrams, Oneke Forde.