Army shoot down Starworld Strikers 4-1

THREE GOALS in the space of 17 minutes was enough to give Defence Force a 4-1 triumph over South Starworld Strikers in a rescheduled T&T Pro League encounter yesterday.

The Army-Coast Guard combination was originally carded to face Joe Public at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday but “the Eastern Lions” was unable to field a full-strength team due to the absence of a number of players on national senior and Under-23 duties. Defence Force leap-frogged Starworld and North East Stars into third place on the 10-team standings while Tobago United, yet to win a match this season, held a 1-0 first half lead over N/E Stars last night at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, through a Nicholas Jack item. In front of a sprinkling of fans at the Mucurapo venue, Starworld were given an early setback when burly striker Akudu Goodridge opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Evergreen midfielder Marvin Gordon doubled the lead in the 20th, capitalising on a defensive breakdown between Marlon Stoute and Vijay Samaroo, who both failed to clear a right-side chip from Owen Matthews.

Sean Julien, the league’s top-scorer last year, skied his shot overbar from a square pass from fellow forward Kester Cornwall in the 28th, a miss which will return to haunt the Southerners. Four minutes later, a long ball from left-back Kwesi Smith found Goodridge who converted past the flat-footed Starworld goalkeeper Jefferson George. Starworld slowly got their act together, with captain and former national senior defender Sherwyn Julien, from a lay-off from younger brother Sean, slamming his left-footer overbar in the 35th. The younger Julien added his name on the scoresheet one minute into the second stanza, thundering an indirect free-kick, set-up from Andre Charles, beyond the reach of goalie Selwyn George. Sean Julien could only watch in agony as his pass to a goalbound Marc Borde was blocked by defender Kelshall Alexander in the 49th minute. But Defence Force regained control of proceedings, and young striker Kevon Carter put the nail on the coffin seven minutes later, sent clear by Gordon he buried his drive past the reach of Jefferson George.

Under-20 Results: STARWORLD STRIKERS (3) - Kareem Simon 11th, Jamal Ayres 51st, Solomon Beaumont 73rd vs DEFENCE FORCE (2) - Jamal Simmons 18th, Keston Greene 83rd; NORTH EAST STARS (2) - Haroon Thompson, Kerwyn Matthews vs TOBAGO UNITED (0).