San Juan Jabloteh crush Tobago 9-0

IT WAS a Sunday evening stroll, literally and figuratively, for CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima, when they annihilated Tobago United 9-0 in their TT Pro League clash. The win gave the league leaders a 10-point cushion over second-placed W Connection, who were scheduled to oppose Defence Force at Malabar last night.

The “Stallions” Caledonia AIA were due to meet Arima Fire in the first match of the double-header. Jabloteh, in front of a handful of supporters, never extended themselves against a Tobago outfit who, led by former national Under-20 coach Peter Granville, looked out of their depth at this level. It was a pitiful performance by the lads from the sister isle who have now conceded a whopping 91 goals from 27 matches in a forgettable debut campaign. Tobago United withstood a series of Jabloteh raids until the 19th minute, when striker Devon Mitchell found his national Under-23 teammate Michael Celestine in the box, and the midfielder tapped the ball into the open net. Following a quickly-taken freekick by Jabloteh, in the 30th, Kerry Baptiste found fellow TT midfielder Otis Seaton who broke the offside trap, rounded goalkeeper Tyrone Browne and slotted home from ten metres out.

Under-23 players Nigel Daniel and Josh Johnson teamed up for the third in the 44th, with Daniel speeding down the left flank and squaring to Johnson who, under pressure by Browne and captain Kevin Adams, tapped home from inside the six-yard box. But the day’s best goal came a minute later — the first goal of the season by midfielder Vernon Bailey. After a series of passes in the middle, Seaton found an unmarked Bailey in the middle and the little-used veteran slammed his 30-metre blast past the bemused Browne. The fifth goal came in the 51st, when Mitchell sent Celestine clear on goal and the ever-improving midfielder rounded Browne and delicately placed his shot into the vacant net. On another goal-bound move five minutes later, a through ball by Celestine was met by Seaton who eluded defender Joel Alleyne and sent a curling shot past Browne. Browne’s misery was not yet complete as a 72nd minute Daniel freekick, from inches outside the 18-yard box, flew past the flat-footed keeper and landed at the right-hand corner of the net.

Celestine and substitute Travis Mulraine played a one-two before Celestine squared to an unmarked Nigel “Croc” Pierre who simply escorted the ball into the empty net in the 80th and the onslaught ended in the 88th, when a Browne clearance rebounded off the head of Mitchell who guided the ball home, despite the challenge of Adams. North East Stars remained third on the standings after a comfortable 4-0 win over the struggling South West Institute of Football (SWIF) at the Sangre Grande Recreation Grounds with goals from Anthony Haynes, Randolph Jerome, Jerren Nixon and Carey Harris. Sterling O’Brian found the back of the net for Joe Public who drew 1-1 against South Starworld Strikers at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.