Leaders W Connection edged St Ann's Rangers 1-0 courtesy a goal from their prolific Suriname striker Dimitrie Apai to move five points clear of the Digicel Pro League on Tuesday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The win was the fifth in a row for the 'Savonetta Boys' that push them to 37 points, five ahead their closest rival Central FC which was scheduled to face Police in a lone encounter at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar Arima last night.
Apai, the 22-year-old in-form Suriname international, notched his ninth league goal in the 20th minute, however Defence Force forward Devorn Jorsling and Ma Pau Stars' Jerrel Britto still head the top scorers' list.
Jorsling, though, had a difficult night in the second game of the double-header as his team rallied to a 1-1 draw with rivals Morvant Caledonia United.
Caledonia, against the run of play, grabbed the lead through new signing Dylon King in the 26th-minute. The former Rangers forward unleashed a cracker to find the top corner of goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke's nets after Lester Joseph cleverly allowed a Kordell Samuel cross to roll through his legs and find oncoming King on top the area.
Caledonia, however, had goalkeeper Marvin Phillip to thank on numerous occasions, including his save to put Jorsling's free-kick onto the crossbar and then out in the second half.
Jorsling also saw an earlier free-kick cannoned off the crossbar on the half-hour mark but could not prevent his team from going four games winless. Aklie Edwards saved the Army/Coast Guard combination when he equalised on the hour mark by heading into an open net after a deep Jorsling corner was headed back across the area. Later Caledonia midfielder Akim Armstrong was put through on the other end against Clarke, but the Defence Force goalie was equal to the task.
Meanwhile, capitalised after their period of dominance possession while Rangers were left appealing for an offside against Apai. The striker easily could have ended with a handful of goals, had he not spilled on three clear-cut chances within the first hour. Rangers were provided with a clear chance to level the score but attacker Josh Toussaint's acrobatic scissor-kick sailed over.
In another game Tuesday, Ma Pau Stars rebounded from a two-goal second-half deficit to hold Club Sando to a 2-2 draw at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
Akeem Humphrey opened the scoring in the 55th-minute for Club Sando before Kemuel Rivers made it 2-0 from the penalty spot 10 minutes later. But late goals by Jerrel Britto and Nicholas Thomas in the 78th and 85th minutes, respectively, saw both sides walk away with a point each. The biggest shocker of the day however, took place at Mahaica Oval where host Point Fortin Civic stunned San Juan Jabloteh 4-2 for their first win of the season despite losing forward Jamille Boatswain to Defence Force in the transfer window.
T&T's youth footballers Darnell Hospedales and Nion Lammy were celebrating victory in Civic colours. Hospedales opened his account with a hat-trick in the 3rd, 17th and 89th minutes which was interrupted by teammate Lammy's 39th-minute item. Elijah Manners and Nathan Lewis were the scorers for Jabloteh in the 50th and 68th minutes, respectively.