Former Under-20 Fifa World Cup duo, midfielders Qian Grosvenor and Sean De Silva scored two goals each as Central FC crushed San Juan Jabloteh 4�0 in their top of the table Digicel T&T Pro League encounter at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Tuesday night.
With three match-days left to complete Round One, the Zoran Vranes-coached "Central Sharks" now lead the table with 13 points from six matches, three ahead of defending champions DirecTV W Connection in the race to win the inaugural Rawle Fletcher Cup and the accompanying $35,000 ahead of the Christmas break.
To add a new dimension and increase the excitement during the league championship, while honouring fallen stars Rawle Fletcher, Akeem Adams and Kevon Carter, the T&T Pro League, beginning this season, will reward the winner of each of the three rounds a Cup named after Fletcher, Adams and Carter for the respective rounds and a cash prize.
The speedy Grosvenor, who was denied by the crossbar in the 12th minute, opened his team's account in the 20th minute when he latched onto a long clearance by goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, raced into the Jabloteh area, rounded goalkeeper Shane Mattis, and slotted into an open net for a 1�0 lead.
Four minutes later, the cheeky De Silva made it 2�0, with a neat turn just inside the area before blasting past a stunned Mattis and in the 30th minute he got his second and the team's third, when he lunged in to meet a Darren Mitchell pass.
Twelve minutes into the second-half, Grosvenor completed his double from close range after collecting a pass from another former national Under-20 player, forward Dwight Quintero, who rounded Mattis just outside the six yard area before playing the ball into his path.
It was the last bit of action for Mattis as he was then substituted due to injury and replaced by Raheem Belgrave, who was lucky not to concede any further goals from De Silva and Grosvenor.
As for Jabloteh, midfielder Jevon Morris came closest to scoring with a shot from distance, in a drab display ahead of its Toyota Classic final with Point Fortin Civic on Friday at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
In the second match at Mucurapo, Central's Couva neighbours W Connection had a much tougher outing, but managed a 2�1 win over Defence Force in an action-packed battle filled of near misses, mainly by the "Savonetta Boys".
Defence Force goalkeeper Andre Marchan was the busier of the two custodians on the night but could do little to stop a 35-yard free-kick from national defender Alvin Jones from going end off a deflection in the wall following a foul by Curtis Gonzales on Mekeil Williams, both former national Under-20 defenders.
This after Jerrel Britto and Hashim Arcia, twice came close to putting W Connection ahead.
However, within four minutes the "Teteron Boys" responded with towering defender Glynn Franklyn swooping home a low effort after goalkeeper Julani Archibald failed to gather a Sean Narcis free-kick.
The defending champions almost regained the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the workman-like Neil Benjamin Jr was the denied by the cross-bar.
Six minutes after the restart, W Connection deservedly went back in front when forward Jerrel Britto knocked in a Benjamin cross after Marchan raced off his line.
Both teams then created a few openings, however their finishes touches left a lot to be desired
Not long after, the Defence Force's rhythm posse arrived, and the sounds of the instruments definitely added to the soldiers' tempo but finding that second equaliser never came.
Down at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Point Fortin Civic warmed up for Friday's final with a 4�1 whipping of St Ann's Rangersled by a double from Jamille Boatswain, scorer of a semi-final hat-trick against WASA FC to help Civic reach the Classic decider while Police and Caledonia AIA battled to a 1�1 draw.
results
Central FC 4 (Qian Grosvenor 20th, 57th, Sean de Silva 24th, 30th) vs San Juan Jabloteh 0
W Connection 2 (Alvin Jones 31st, Jerrel Britto 51st) vs Defence Force 1 (Glynn Franklyn 34')
Pt Fortin Civic 4 (Jamille Boatswain 22nd, 30th', Andre Alexis 23rd, Andre Ettienne 63rd) vs St Ann's Rangers 1 (Jared Bennett 69th)
Caledonia AIA 1 (Nathan Lewis 57th) vs Police FC 1 (Todd Ryan 72')
?standings
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Central 6 4 1 1 19 6 13
W Connection 5 3 1 1 10 3 10
Police 6 2 3 1 9 9 9
Caledonia 5 2 2 1 8 7 8
Jabloteh 5 2 2 1 4 6 8
N/East Stars 5 2 1 2 4 3 7
D/Force 5 2 0 3 8 9 6
Pt Fortin 5 1 1 3 8 11 4
Rangers 6 0 1 5 4 20 1
fixtures
Tuesday, December 16
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
W Connection vs Police FC, 6 pm
Central FC vs North East Stars, 8 pm
Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo
Caledonia AIA vs San Juan Jabloteh, 6 pm
Defence Force vs Point Fortin Civic, 8 pm
Friday, December 19
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
W Connection vs Caledonia AIA, 6 pm
Central FC vs Point Fortin Civic, 8 pm
Saturday, December 20
Venue: Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya
North East Stars vs St Ann's Rangers, 4 pm
Defence Force vs San Juan Jabloteh, 6 pm