National goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams' returned to competitive action for the first time after a six-months shoulder injury layoff to lead Central FC to a 3�1 penalty-kicks win over Defence Force after a 2�2 deadlock in the T&T Pro League 2016/2017 curtain-raising Digicel Charity Shield at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Friday night.
Williams made three saves in the penalty shoot-out, as Central FC won the title. They took home the $10,000 reward, to go to a charity of their choice. The win adds to their success from last year, a 1�0 final win over rivals W Connection, after losing to the same opponents, by the same margin a year earlier.
Although former England Premier League forward Kenwyne Jones was the focus during the 90 of the contest, it was his Soca Warriors' team-mate, Williams, who stole on the night and was unlucky not to be named "Most Valuable Player", an award won by team-mate Darren Mitchell.
Defence Force's veteran and former T&T striker Devon Jorsling netted the first-kick from the spot but Williams, who entered the game after replacing goalkeeper Javon Sample at the start of the second half, pulled off consecutive saves to deny Hashim Arcia, captain Jerwyn Balthazar and Marvin Jones.
Central FC, captain Leston Paul, Sean De Silva and Nicholas Dillon all converted their attempts past Defence Force goalkeeper Andre Marchan, who had made one save, denying Marcus Joseph on the third penalty kick.
It was an unfortunate end for the Defence Force players, who had done well to pull level after going 2�0 down against the two-time reigning Caribbean Football Union Club Championship and Digicel Pro League champions, Central FC, who went into the match with the benefit of two Concacaf Champions League matches under their belt against Major League Soccer (MLS) outfits Vancouver Whitecaps, and Sporting Kansas City while Defence Force, only had pre-season matches.
Less than five minutes into the match, Central were up 2�0 with former Sunderland, Stoke City and Cardiff City forward, Jones, involved in both items.
First in the third minute, a Jones effort on target was parried by goalkeeper Andre Marchan into the path of Central FC's Mitchell who fired into an un-guarded goal for a 1�0 lead and three minutes later the T&T captain made it 2-0 with a close range finish from a Marcus Joseph feed.
Jorsling, the Pro League's all-time top scorer got Defence Force, got back into the match when he glanced a header past Sample in the 18 minute off a right-sided centre from Levi Serries.
Ten minutes later, Arica had a great chance to put his team level, but after being put through by Jorsling, he saw his effort tipped over by Sample and five minutes before the half, the latter also failed to find the target when well placed.
Defence Force continued to look for the equaliser, and in the 57th minute Arcia saw a well-directed header from a Jorsling free-kick pushed overbar by substitute goalkeeper Williams.
Four minutes from the final whistle, Jones had an excellent opportunity to complete his first game back in the Pro League since 2004 with a double, while putting the game out of Defence Force's reach, but headed overbar from the edge of the six-yard after meeting substitute Sean De Silva's well-placed cross.
And three minutes later, that missed chance came back to haunt Central FC as Defence Force second-half substitute Sean Narcis' levelled the score 2�2 when his blast off a Marvin Jones' right side cross which took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Williams.
Arcia almost completed the turn-around for Defence Force, but he was denied in stoppage time by Williams to send the contest into a penalty shootout, where the T&T goalkeeper came up trumps.
RESULTS
Central FC 2 (Darren Mitchell 3rd, Kenwyne Jones 5th) vs Defence Force 2 (Devorn Jorsling 18th, Sean Narcis 89th). Central FC won the game 3�1 on penalty-kicks.
