Keyon Edwards scored a hattrick as Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA continued its free scoring with a 5-1 thrashing of Police to stay top of the Digicel T&T Pro League on goal difference over Defence Force at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Friday night. With the win, Caledonia which has now scored 15 goals in its last three outings moved to ten points from five matches, the same as Defence Force which blanked Central FC 3-0, but with a better goal-difference of plus-ten to the Teteron Boys' plus-three.
Two points behind in third spot is defending champions DirecTV W Connection after it blasted T&TEC 7-0 at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, yesterday led by doubles from Shahdon Winchester and Hashim Arcia while North East Stars got a fourth draw in five matches, this time 2- 2 with ten-man St Ann's Rangers at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar. On Friday at Mucurapo, Keyon Edwards fired Caledonia into the lead in the 20th minute while Densil Theobald made it 2-0 eight minutes later.
The lawmen should have cut the lead in the 36th minute via the penalty route, only for skipper Todd Ryan to have his effort saved by Glenroy Samuel after Jevon Morris was brought down in the 18-yard box by Aubrey David. Two minutes later, Ryan and Police was made to rue that missed chance when Edwards got his second of the match for a 3-0 advantage, but just before the half, Stephen Knox pulled a goal back for Police. On the resumption, Police wasted a few half chances to get back into the match before Edwards completed his hat-trick on the hour mark for a 4-1 lead while substitute Trevin Caesar rounded off the scoring a minute before full-time to hand stand-in coach Jerry Moe a third win on the trot.
Moe, who has served alongside Jamaal Shabazz as the club's coach over the years was also presented with the "October Coach of the Month" award on the night. In the night's second match, Defence Force led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a Rodell Elcock header in 22nd minute from a Corey Rivers corner. The speedy Kevon Carter then squandered a few chances to extend the lead coupled with some spectacular saves from goalkeeper Marvin Phillip which kept Central FC in the match. On the resumption, Defence Force continued to dominate and wasted another chance to double its tally when Jamal Sebro had a close-range effort from inside the six-yard box bravely kept out at his feet by Phillip and left back Aklie Edwards made a surging run down the flank and whipped in a clever cross.
At the other end of the field, USA's Ladule Rako-Losarah threatened for Central FC with a right footed blast that whisked past goalkeeper Kevin Graham and the right post in the 56th minute. Soon after 2010 top scorer in the league Devorn Jorsling and winger Jerwyn Balthazar were introduced by stand-in Defence Force coach assistant Marvin Gordon, who was deputising for Ross Russell away on national duty. Jorsling made an immediate impact when he collected a through pass from Curtis Gonzales, rounded Phillip and slotted into an open net for a 2-0 lead in the 77th minute before Carter finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 85th with another finish from inside the 18- yard box.
RESULTS
Caledonia 5 (Keyon Edwards
20th, 38th, 60th, Densil
Theobald 28th, Trevin Caesar
89th) vs Police 1 (Stephen Knox
44th)
Defence Force 3 (Rodell Elcock
22nd, Devorn Jorsling 77th,
Kevon Carter 85th) vs Central
FC 0
YESTERDAY:
North East Stars 2 (Cornell
Glen 39th, 42nd) vs St Ann's
Rangers 2 (Cecil Jeffrey 37th,
Devon Modeste 60th pen)
W Connection 7 (Shadon
Winchester 2nd, 58th, Hashim
Arcia 20th, 48th, Joevin Jones
28th, Leslie Russell 35th, Jerrel
Britto 56th) vs T&TEC 0