Inform Ataulla Guerra scored a double as Central FC opened a three point lead at the top of the Digicel T&T Pro League with a 4-1 whipping of cellar-placed St Ann's Rangers in the opening match of a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Friday night.
Guerra netted his first when he slipped the ball past goalkeeper Junior Granger in the 19th minute for a 1-0 lead following a head-on by Willis Plaza.
Plaza then made it 2-0 by the 37th minute, with his second goal in two matches for the "Couva Sharks" since returning to competitive action this month when he connected with a left footed strike to beat Granger after latching onto a ball played over the top by Marvin Oliver.
Plaza also had the ball in the back of the net four minutes before the half, but it was ruled out for offside and rightfully so, but less than a minute inside the second period, Guerra who was denied with a diving header in the 39th by Granger completed his double for a 3-0 score-line on a second bite at goal from close up to beat Granger who made the initial stop, in a play started from a quickly taken free-kick in the middle.
The lively Guerra had a couple second half tries but it was his feed in the 52nd minute that created Central's fourth and final goal, for a 4-0 lead, which was blasted in by Jason Marcano from inside the area.
The Zoran Vranes-coached Central, fresh from being crowned the Round One winners for the Rawle Fletcher Trophy, pushed to further improve the score line with later attempts by Plaza, Oliver and even a diving Jamal Jack header that rebounded off the upright, but just couldn't replicate a 7-0 result achieved against Rangers in Round One, last September.
Instead it was Rangers that celebrated somewhat of an improvement, not only reducing the score line, but also pulling a goal back in the 77th minute when Keron Cornwall sent a rebound whistling into the back of the net after Josh Toussaint's initial effort was cleared off the line by defender Elton John.
The result improved Central FC's hold on the top spot with 20 points from nine matches, three more than defending champions DirecTV W Connection which has a match in hand ahead of their meeting next Friday from 8 pm at the Couva.
Point Fortin blastsCaledonia 6-1
In Friday's second match, Marcus Joseph upstaged Guerra as he fired in a hat-trick for Pt Fortin Civic in a 6-1 drubbing of a lacklustre Caledonia AIA.
But it was midfielder Akeem Redhead who put Civic a 1-0 lead just ten minutes into the match when he blasted in Joseph's hard-worked pass which slipped across the area.
Civic threw a few more efforts at Caledonia and finally got to a 2-0 cushion on the 33rd minute when Joseph grabbed his first with a left footed strike into the far corner as goalkeeper Zane Coker stood beaten a second time.
Two minutes later Caledonia pulled a goal back through Guyana international Trayon Bobb who took over the line Keon Russell's attempt which had initially beaten goalkeeper Marvin Phillip and had a defender scrambling near the goal mouth.
But on the 39th minute Joseph restored Civic's two goal cushion with his second on the night for a 3-1 score.
Joseph, picked out by a long ball forward by Steven Joseph, lifted the ball over an onrushing Coker, well off his line, before casually placing the ball into the back of the net.
Joseph, with his deadly left foot on the prowl again, completed his hat-trick against substitute Caledonia goalkeeper Shemel Louison in the 77th minute from inside the area as Civic continued to lead the game with a 4-1 score.
Caledonia finally found a second item in the 82nd minute, provisionally reducing the deficit 2-4, following a smooth sequence of passing from Hayden Tinto, Kareem Joseph and goal scorer Purnell Schultz, who did well to turn inside his marker and hit past Phillip and into the far netting.
But four minutes later Civic were 5-2 in front when substitute and January transfer window signing Shackeil Henry, who had a tame effort cleared out after rounding Coker earlier, scored on debut by lobbing goalkeeper Louison after meeting a ball over the top by another substitute Andrei Pacheco.
And to add to insult, Caledonia suffered an own goal in stoppage time as Civic celebrated a 6-2 win.
Joseph had swung in cross from the left when Caledonia Keron Bethelmy intercepted in an attempt to clear the ball, but in error, he headed it perfectly out of Louison's reach and into the back of his own net.
Round Two continued last night with Defence Force taking on North East Stars and Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh against Police FC, both at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya last night.
Friday's results
Digicel T&T Pro League
Central FC 4 (Ataulla Guerra 19th, 46th, Willis Plaza 37th, Jason Marcano 52nd) vs St Ann's Rangers 1 (Keron Cornwall 77th)
Pt Fortin Civic 6 (Marcus Joseph 33rd, 39th, 77th, Akeem Redhead 10th, Shackiel Henry 86th, o.g 90'+3) vs Caledonia 2 (Trayon Bobb 35th, Purnell Schultz 82nd)