Police rough up Point Fortin Civic

Elijah Belgrave bagged a hattrick while Kareem Perry scored twice during the lopsided affair that also saw Kadeem Riley, Dexter Alleyne, substitute Micah Lewis and Kareem’s brother Jameel Perry get on the scoresheet for the Lawmen in qualifier one at the Port-of-Spain venue.

Like Police and Civic, St. Ann’s Rangers and Morvant Caledonia had to also contest the qualifying round of the Pro Bowl due to their bottom-four positions on the Digicel Pro League standings after last weekend’s Round Two Match Day Eight.

Rangers, following a 0-0 stalemate in the second qualifier of the night, defeated 2008 Pro Bowl champions Morvant Caledonia 5-4 in sudden death of a penalty shootout to book their place in this season’s quarter-final draw.

Rangers’ goalkeeper Cleon John was in terrific form between the sticks for the St. Ann’s club with three saves in the shootout—denying Morvant Caledonia’s Keron Bethelmy and Jameel Neptune, then Kordell Samuel in sudden death. Police however, were unstoppable from the first whistle and showed no mercy against the side that spent all season anchored at the bottom of the Pro League standings.

Coach Richard Hood’s men were in front from as early as the second minute after Belgrave swooped in on a rebound to hit past goalkeeper Miles Goodman, who had kept out an initial attempt from Kareem Perry. Belgrave, enjoying the night in an attacking role, made it 2-0 on 16 minutes after controlling a diagonal Jameel Perry pass inside the box and firing low beyond a hapless Goodman.

Belgrave, usually at centre-back for Police, missed out on a third on the half-hour mark when he struck high from the spot after Reigh Alexander had brought down Kareem Perry inside the box.

But Belgrave completed his hat-trick ten minutes from time with a low left-footed drive past Goodman for the Lawmen’s ninth goal following an enterprising solo move by substitute Christon Thomas, who unselfishly picked out his teammate in the middle of the area.

Belgrave was also instrumental in his side’s third item to go into the break with a 3-0 lead after his pass in the 44th-minute set Kareem free to lob an onrushing Goodman from 18-yards out.

Police showed off their flair with six more goals in the second half.

Like early in the first half, Goodman conceded again on the rebound five minutes after the break when Riley smashed in from the edge of the six-yard area to put the score at 4-0 after the Civic goalie had made a save.

And, with a spectacular diving header in the area by Alleyne in the 57th-minute to meet a right side Belgrave free-kick, Police were 5-0.

Twelve minutes later, Kareem completed his double before quick goals by Micah Lewis and Belgrave in the 79th and 80th minutes made it 8-0. Police recorded the highest scoring win in all competitions this season after Jameel put his name on the scoresheet in the second minute of stoppage-time.