Army march into Pro Bowl semis

Midfielder Hashim Arcia scored a second-half quick-fire double to trump a first-half penalty strike by Jabloteh’s Jamaican defender Adrian Reid to march coach Marvin Gordon’s side into Sunday’s semis along with Central FC, Police FC and Club Sando.

Sando, 2-0 winners over Ma Pau Stars in last night’s earlier quarter-final, will meet recently crowned Digicel Pro Leage champions Central in Sunday’s first semi-final from 4pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium before Defence Force and Police FC clash in a battle-of-the-armed-forces from 6pm.

Central had crushed minnows St. Ann’s Rangers 8-0 and Police, in the upset of the tournament, defeated league runners-up W Connection 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Wednesday’s quarter-final double-header at the same Couva venue.

Last night’s action, however, saw Akeem Humphrey seal Sando’s spot in the semis after setting up the opening item in the 2-0 win over Ma Pau, who stood without regular coach Ross Russell.

Kevin Jeffrey, caretaker over the last two weeks in absence of Russell, who is currently on international duty as goalkeeper coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Under- 20s, saw his side fall behind on 53 minutes when Kevon Piper buried a Humphrey cross past goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel, with the Stars’ defence stretched apart.

Thirteen minutes later, and another lapse in the back by the Stars and Humphrey was able to let off a wonderful strike beyond Samuel from inside the box to make it 2-0 for coach Angus Eve’s side.

In the second game, Defence Force were trailing one nil just before the half-hour mark when Adrian Reid converted from the spot after a handball was ruled against defender Curtis Gonzales to put coach Keith Jeffrey’s Jabloteh in front.

Reid was brilliant from the spot against a wrong-sided goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke, who had earlier produced a magnificent one-handed save to keep out a header from Jamal Gay off Tyrone Charles’ left side cross.

However two second-half goals in a space of four minutes by Arcia saw Defence Force top Jabloteh for the final spot in the semis.

Arcia first equalised four minutes into the second half with a 25-yard left-footer which took a deflection to leave a beaten goalkeeper Javon Sample frozen at his goal line.

Sample was beaten again in the 52nd-minute when Arcia, under heavy contest from defender Aquil Selby, curled a right-footed strike into the back of the Jabloteh net for the 2-1 lead after he was picked out in the area by a left side Kerry Joseph cross.