D/Force shoot down Starworld

DEFENCE FORCE mustered enough strength to defeat South Starworld Strikers 2-0 in a disappointing Round 31 encounter in the TT Pro League, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Monday night. A literal handful of supporters were treated to a drab display, with play seemingly moving in slow motion and a proliferation of bad passes and mental lapses. D/Force’s striker Sherman “Ants” Phillip had a hand in both goals, setting up substitute Balondemu Julius in the 50th and scoring the other in stoppage time. Phillip himself had the game’s first opportunity on goal in the 27th, collecting a loose ball from the middle, he went past defender Dwayne Charles and cannoned his shot against the crossbar. Starworld tried their luck four minutes later, when “well-travelled” midfielder Marc Borde sent Adrian “Motty” Nunez free and the burly striker sent his right-footer overbar.

Julius put the Army-Coast Guard combination in front five minutes into the second half. Phillip, with acres of space on the right flank, seemed confused but, after regaining his composure, ran into the penalty box and squared to Julius whose one-time shot went past goalkeeper Marvin Phillip. The Teteron lads had chances in the 72nd and 74th, in the first instance Phillip blocked a Cory Rivers freekick and held the follow-up from Michael Edwards while an unmarked Julius headed overbar from a Ronald Boyce cross. But Phillip sealed victory for his team in the 90th — taking a long ball from the back he slipped past goalkeeper-cum-defender Jefferson George and slotted home past the advancing Phillip. One other match was played on the night, with South West Institute of Football (SWIF) and “Stallions” Caledonia AIA featuring in a 2-2 draw at the Palo Seco Recreation Grounds.
The in-form striker Nigel Hart gave the visitors a 13th minute lead before the pendulum swung in SWIF’s favour with goals from Curte Fermin on the half-hour and Bevon Clement 10 minutes later. But SWIF could not register their seventh win of a disappointing debut season, as Abdullah Phillips equalised for Caledonia in the 80th.

Under-20 Results — STARWORLD STRIKERS (2) —  Sylvester Teesdale 56th, 75th vs DEFENCE FORCE (1) — Richard Roy 65th; SWIF (3) vs CALEDONIA AIA (1).