T&T Digicel Pro League champions, Defence Force will go into the second leg of its Caribbean Football Union Club Championship home-and-away first round qualifying tie against Bermuda champions, Dandy Town Hornets on next Saturday needing only a draw to advance. This after midfielder Sean Narcis scored in the 30th minute to earn the Teteron Boys a 1-1 draw away to Hornets at the Bermuda Athletic Association Field, Hamilton on Thursday night. Prior to the kickoff, Defence Force coach Ross Russell may not have known who Hornets were but after the 90 minutes he won't forget his opponents in a hurry as the hosts put in a heroic performance and were more than a match for their more fancied opponents.
With a little more firepower up front, Hornets might even have won the encounter, but Jahmel Swan's 22nd minute header aside they lacked that extra something which would have made all the difference.
How costly Defence Force Sean Narcis' equaliser will be in the final reckoning is anyone's guess, but nothing should detract from an impressive Hornets display that left Russell seeking a tape of the game so he could go back to T&T and figure out just what went wrong. At the heart of the Town engine room were Swan and Jared Peniston, who mostly neutralised the threat posed by Sean Narcis, Jerwyn Balthazar, and striker Richard Roy (Shaka). Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Johnson also made a string of fine saves, several from point blank range to deny Roy when it seemed the Teteron Boys striker must score. Hornets, though, were more than just honest workers, they created several chances as well, and Swan's goal when it came was hardly against the run of play. The only surprise was that, against a team of giants, the diminutive midfielder scored with a header.
Most of the blame for that must fall on the shoulders of Defence Force goalkeeper Kevin Graham (Barthez), who made a complete mess of a corner and could only watch as the ball sailed over his head and was nodded in by the unmarked Swan. Going behind stunned Force into action, and Balthazar, who was his side's best player, started to make his presence felt going forward. In the end, the Defence Force equaliser, which came with little more than 30 minutes gone was more about the pace and power of Narcis than anything else. Defence Force had the better of things in the second-half, and Kemon Tucker and Johnson both had to be alert to deny Roy. At the other end, the out-of-sorts Raymond Beach missed a golden opportunity to put his side back in front when he completely missed the ball with the goal at his mercy. However it was Kerry Joseph who missed the best chance of the night when he waltzed through a Hornets defence only to fire his shot across the face of goal with Johnson beaten.
In the end a draw was no more than either side deserved, and on this evidence the result of the second leg is certainly not a formality.
Dandy Town boss Jomar Wilkinson certainly won't think so, and if Russell did before, he won't now.
The winner of the home-and-away clash between Defence Force and Hornets faces the winner of the first round series between Suriname's Intermoengotapoe SV and Guyana's Milerock FC in the second-round beginning April 12-14 for a spot in the final four to be held in T&T.
Teams
Dandy Town: Daniel Johnson (GK), George Dyer, Fabian Frankson (Yellow 57th), Kamen Tucker, Damon Ming, Jahmel Swan, Jared Peniston, Lashun Dill (Heys Wolfe 82nd), Seion Darrell, Wolde Maryam-Place (Shannon Burchall 70th), Raymond Beach (capt). Subs not used: Antoine Lightbourne (GK), Rico Wells, Joseph Butterfield, Tymon Daniels.
Defence Force: Kevin Graham (GK), Rawle Fletcher, Michael Edwards (Jemel Sebro 73rd), Kerry Joseph, Corey Rivers (capt), Jerwyn Balthazar (Balondemu Julius 89th), Sean Narcis (Yellow 33rd) (Kurt Williams 82nd), Dexter Pacheco, Rondell Elcock, Aklie Edwards, Richard Roy. Subs not used: Dillon Prince (GK), Ronald St Louis, Jahvon Neptune, Glynn Franklin.