Willis Plaza notched its third goal in as many matches, to earn leaders Central FC a narrow 1-0 derby win over rivals and reigning champions DirecTV W Connection in their Digicel T&T Pro League top-of-the-table clash at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Friday night.
Plaza, an out-of-favour T&T international, swooped in on a spill by goalkeeper Julani Archibald, following a right-side attempt by Jason Marcano, to lift the ball into the W Connection net for a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute.
W Connection would be ruing the loss, though, as it failed to find at least an equaliser despite having a number of opportunities in a keenly contested Couva derby.
But it was Central which had the first two near misses with midfielder Sean de Silva, donning the armband, hitting just wide from the top of the area in the third minute and Plaza heading over in the 15th minute off a Marcano cross.
Five-time champion W Connection then got closest in the 22nd minute when Hashim Arcia troubled goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams from distance and winning a corner in the process.
Then from the resulting corner it was danger again for Central, which was lucky to see Kaydion Gabriel clear of the line twice in quick succession to deny defender Leslie Joel Russell.
On the other end Marcano sent an effort just wide of the far post in the 26th minute and Plaza's 35th minute attempt was thwarted by Archibald, before Plaza's winner arrived four minutes from the break.
W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier responded with a double substitution following the break with Columbians Stiven Lopez Concha and Christian Rodriquez making their debuts as replacements for Devaughn Elliot and Russell respectively. And by midway through the half St Lucian forward Shirvone St Prix was another debutant when he replaced Jomol Williams.
But prior to Williams' exit, Connection's Jerrel Britto had two of the "Savonnetta Boys" best scoring opportunities.
Ten minutes into the half Britto failed to make contact to Williams' cross from the left with the back post exposed, and in the 73rd minute the Connection forward blasted over bar on an even better opening.
Triston Hodge was a couple inches shy of winning his side the equaliser in the 63rd minute when his left footed crack from the left crashed off the base of Jan-Michael Williams' near upright and flew across the area before it was cleared to safety.
Even a well-struck Alvin Jones' free kick in the 77th minute couldn't rescue a point for Connection as it flew inches wide of the target.
The result improved Central's (7-2-1) to 23 points at the top of the standings, six clear of W Connection (6-2-1).
Commenting after the match, Central FC first year coach, Zoran Vranes, who got his first win over W Connection sibce taking charge of Central FC at the start of the season praised the efforts of Plaza who he said was not 100 per cent match ready as yet.
"We expected that, but he (Plaza) is supposed to push himself a little more. He is not in full fitness. But of course three goals in three games is helping us a lot. If we had him from the beginning (of the season) the story would be a lot better right now."
"I did expect a very tough game," said Central FC coach Zoran Vranes following the match. "I think the game was very close. But I think we deserved the win. We have an advantage now. We have a nice advantage but of course it's not over yet. It's far from over."
In the night's first contest, North East Stars (5-2-3, 17 points) also got a 1-0 win over Pt Fortin Civic 1-0 to move up one spot into third on the table, level on points with W Connection, but behind on goal difference.
The Angus Eve-coached Sangre Grande outfit got their lone item in the 47th minute when a right-side cross by Jamaican Keithy Simpson took a deflection off a retreating defender to hit the inside of the upright before entering goalkeeper Marvin Phillip's net.
North East Stars, which had a few first-half chances to take the lead failed to double the advantage on the 65th minute from the penalty spot.
Referee Rodphin Harris was forced to point to the spot, but short of penalty kickers, defender Aquil Selby stepped up to the challenge, only to see his poorly struck effort comfortably gathered by Phillip.
Pt Fortin pushed desperately for the equaliser with second-half tries by Andre Toussaint, Marcus Joseph on two separate occasions, Steven Joseph and Matthew Bartholomew, but they were all denied by goalkeeper Cleon John, who preserved his side's one goal advantage.
"It's good to be in the position that we are in and competing," North East Stars coach Angus Eve said after the match.
"Our budget isn't as big as the teams just around us but we have still been able to put together a decent squad and worked incredibly well to try and get some results. Hopefully we can finish as high as we can and probably get one of the Cups this season."
Eve, who praised the performance of his team in the end while singling out forward Jomoul Francois and goalkeeper Cleon John, added, "We said coming into this stage of the season we are not focusing on goals because we are a team that don't score much goals. But defensively we are always solid like we saw tonight. They (Civic) didn't really have any chances that really threatened us. We created more and should have scored more. In the case of the penalty, our two best penalty takers, Kennedy Hinkson and Keron Cummings, were on the bench at the time so Selby stepped up and we gave him credit for taking the responsibility."
Round Two Match Day Two continues today at the same Couva venue with cellar-placed St Ann's Rangers (0-1-8, 1 point) against seventh-placed Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh (2-4-3, 10 points) from 4 pm and eight-placed Police FC (2-4-3, 10 points) against third-placed Defence Force (5-1-3, 16 points) from 6 pm.
results
Friday's Digicel Pro League:
North East Stars 1 (own goal 47') vs Point Fortin Civic 0
Central FC 1 (Willis Plaza 41') vs W Connection 0
Today's matches:
Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva:
St Ann's Rangers vs San Juan Jabloteh, 4 pm
Police FC vs Defence Force, 6 pm