Johan Peltier scored a late goal as four-time Digicel T&T Pro League winner San Juan Jabloteh climbed to the top of the table for the first time in almost five years with a 1-0 defeat of North East Stars on Tuesday night.
This was in the feature match of a double-header at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya in which Guyanese international, 20-year-old Pernell Schultz netted his first top flight hat-trick in Caledonia AIA's 3-1 whipping of previous joint leader Defence Force.
While Caledonia's come-from-behind win over the former champion created a buzz, it was Jabloteh's climb to the top of the table under coach Keith Jeffrey which was the talk of the night.
Former winners in 2002, 2003/2004, 2007 and 2008 under previous English-born coaches, Ricky Hill and Terry Fenwick, Jabloteh then ended as runner-up in 2009, by a point, behind the now defunct Joe Public.
It was then sixth in 2010/2011 season and fifth in 2011/2012 before folding up shop due to a lack of money which coincided with the collapse of Clico, its main financiers.
This then forced the club to sit out the 2012/2013 season before it returned a year later under Jeffrey and finished second from bottom with only four wins and four drawn results from 24 matches.
However, now in his second season and still operating with limited resources, Jeffrey has now seen his team climb to the pinnacle of the Pro League table four matches into the league season, courtesy Peltier in the 87th minute when he arrived in the area to hit a low drive past goalkeeper Cleon John after the Stars' defence failed to clear an attack.
To add to Stars' woes, central defender Aquil Selby, who argued for a handball during the goal-scoring play, was issued a straight red card by referee Rodphin Harris for using abusive language at the officials for allowing the goal.
The win, which avenged a 4-3 penalty-kicks loss after a 0-0 draw in the First Citizens Cup semifinal against the eventual runners-up lifted Jabloteh to eight points, one more than the tournament winner Central FC which had its encounter with Police rescheduled to Sunday at Gilbert Park, Couva from 3.30 pm while Stars missed a chance to go top and stayed on six points, the same as Defence Force and Caledonia.
In the night's opener at Macoya, Defence Force, winner of its first two matches looked set to go top of the table after taking a sixth minute against Caledonia through winger Jemel Sebro, after his effort hit the inside of the far upright before entering the back of Caledonia's 21-year-old Jamaican goalkeeper Rashaun Patterson's net.
But that lead only lasted three minutes as Schultz levelled the score 1-1 with a powerful crack from above the area that baffled Defence Force goalkeeper Andre Marchan for a 1-1 half-time score.
Seven minutes after the resmption, Schultz put Caledonia ahead when his shot from on top the 18-yard-box found itself in the back of the net despite Marchan getting a hand to it.
Four minutes later, the Caledonia import completed his treble in style, with a deft chip over Marchan from a low centre by substitute Jameel Neptune to seal his team's second win of the campaign to join Defence Force and Stars with six points
Caledonia's celebrations were dampened somewhat as Haitian defender Pierre Hitner was shown a straight red card in the second minute of stoppage time for violent conduct against Army forward Devorn Jorsling.
The card was only issued after referee Gyasi Mc Donald first consulted second assistant referee Johan Corneal.
Down at the Ato Boldon Stadium, defending league champions W Connection got a first win of the season, 4-0 over St Ann's Rangers to kick start its campaign after being held 1-1 by Central FC in its opener and a shock loss in the First Citizens Cup.
But the "Savonnetta Boys" had to wait until ten minutes before half-time for St Lucian defender Kurt Frederick to get the first goal while national Under-20 forward Akeem Garcia made it 2-0 five minuets later.
And in the second-half, former national youth duo Jerrel Britto and Neil Benjamin Jr added items in the 73rd and 75th, respectively.
Following Sunday's lone match, the league will take a two-week break to accomodate the Soca Warriors involvement in the 18th Caribbean Football Union Cup finals in Jamaica with matches resuming on November 25.
?Tuesday's results:
W Connection 4 (Kurt Fredrick 35th, Akeem Garcia 40th, Jerrol Britto 73rd, Neil Benjamin Jr 75th) vs St Ann's Rangers 0
Caledonia 3 (Pernell Schultz 9th, 52nd, 56th) vs Defence Force 1 (Jemel Sebro 6th)
San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Johann Caleb 87th) vs North East Stars 0
Current standings:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Jabloteh 4 2 2 0 4 2 8
Central FC 3 2 1 0 11 2 7
Caledonia 3 2 0 1 6 5 6
Defence Force 3 2 0 1 6 5 6
N/East Stars 4 2 0 2 4 3 6
W Connection 3 1 1 1 5 2 4
Police FC 3 1 1 1 5 6 4
Pt Fortin Civic 3 0 1 2 4 7 1
Rangers 4 0 0 4 2 15 0
Upcoming match: Sunday
Central FC vs Police, Gilbert Park, Couva, 3.30pm