The Shurland David-coached FC Maloney secured the $30,000 Eastern Football Association of T&T Premier Division title for the first time since 2022 when they battled to a 0-0 draw with outgoing two-time champions Malabar FC at the Clayton Ince Recreation Ground, Maloney, on Sunday night (September 20).
Going into the match, FC Maloney needed only to win or draw the match, coupled with FC Ginga failing to get maximum points in their match against Natural FC at the Bon Air Recreation Ground, Arouca.
In the end, FC Maloney got the desired point, while FC Ginga battled to a 3-3 draw with Natural FC to settle the destination of the title for the 2026 season.
With the draw, FC Maloney moved to an unassailable 29 points from their 12 matches, four clear of Heatwave FC, while FC Porto Arima has 24 points and one match left to play, with Eastern Connect and FC Ginga next with 21 points.
Commenting on his team’s triumph and reclaiming the title he first won with the team in 2022, David, a former national defender, was quick to point out their success was built on a total team effort.
“At the start of the season, the guys set out their target of winning the league title, and they put in all the hard work to make that dream a reality, and in the end, we achieved what we set out to do,” stated David.
For me and the rest of the coaching staff and players, the feeling is really great, as we wanted to bring some positive vibes to our community of Maloney, and a key attribute was that we were properly organised as a team from the onset.”
“For the past two years, we didn’t have the kind of focus and organisation that we would have liked, but we got it right from the onset, and we are delighted to come out on top.”
David also credited the full commitment of his players, saying, “During the past two years some players were drawn towards playing for clubs in the T&T Premier Football League Tier I and Tier II competitions, where they are paid by the clubs.”
‘But, this year we had a core of players who from the start of the season were committed to our plan, even though we have no sponsor and they were not being paid, so I have to give them a lot of credit for their efforts.
The FC Maloney coach pointed out Jadel Carter, Sean Bonval, Kerry Mitchell, Levin Caballero and Nickolai Orr as some of the main standouts but was mindful that everyone else on the team played a part in achieving their goal of reclaiming the league crown.
David referenced his team to a music group, saying, “When you have a music group, you need the singers just as you need the backup singers; we can’t have one without the other. As I always remind them, this is not tennis; it’s not a one-player sport. Everyone has a role to play and to come out on top; we have to work together.”
Sunday’s results:
Round 12
Wallerfield United FC 1 (Kwesi Duberry 52nd) vs Phoenix FC 0
Heatwave FC 10 (Marquise Hoyte 3rd, 18th, 54th, Nathaniel Perouse 30th, 39th, Hakim Skinner 10th, Makkia Hendrickson 22nd, Gregoris Fermin 25th, Jean Paul Rampersad 47th, Jamal Jupiter 60th) vs Creek SCC 0 - match ended in 70th minute due to bad light
Malabar FC 0 vs FC Maloney 0
Athletic Int’l Academy 3 vs Trinity Warriors FC 0 - by default
Natural FC 3 (Alex Alberto 22nd, Jermel Boatswain 44th, Eider Hernandez 68th) vs FC Ginga 3 (Jervaughn Drakes 46th, Nyrek Thornhill 51st, Jahdel Charles 87th)
Latest EFA Premier standings
PosCTeams P W D L F A Pts
1. FC Maloney*12*9*2*1*45*9*29
2. Heatwave FC*12*8*1*3*37*14*25
3. FC Porto Arima*11*8*0*3*46*17*24
4. Eastern Connect*11*7*0*4*40*17 *21
5. FC Ginga*10*6*3*1*29*12*21
6. Wallerfield Utd FC*11*6*2*3*17*11*20
7. Athletic Int’l Academy*11*5*3*3*33*22*18
8. Natural FC*11*4*3*4*21*25*15
9. Phoenix FC*11*4*1*6*16*15*13
10. Malabar FC*10*2*3*5*13*23*9
11. Trinity Warriors*11*2*0*9*13*37*6
12. SKHY FC*11*1*0*10*11*59*3
13. Creek SC*10*0*0*10*6*66*0
NB: Athletic United and Maracas FC withdrew from the competition.
