Former winners W Connection and North East Stars secured the final two places in this year's Lucozade Sport Goal Shield semifinal after quarterfinals win at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Saturday night.
In the night's first encounter, W Connection, the defending champions and two-time winners (2009 and 2013), whipped San Juan Jabloteh 3-1 with three different players on target while 2010 tournament winners Stars got a double from Kerron "Ball Pest" Cummings in their 2-1 defeat of Police.
Despite resting a few key players, W Connection was never in trouble and went ahead after only eight minutes through St Lucian midfielder Tremain Shayn Paul with a right-footed thump from 23-yards out to beat Jabloteh goalkeeper Shundelle Mayers after he was teed up by Hashim Arcia.
Seven minutes later, W Connection went 2-0 up after Surinamese forward Dimitrie Apai set up Jamal Clarence to fire past Mayers and in the 24th minute, the match was all over as a contest as some sloppy goalkeeping from Mayers saw his wayward pass intercepted by Neil Benjamin Jr, who layed on for Arcia to do the honours.
W Connection then coasted through the rest of the match, but not before Jabloteh got a consolation item in the 76th, thanks to defender Kareem Smith who pounced on a rebound off the gloves of goalkeeper Aquelius Sylvester, who had pulled off a diving save to keep out a well-taken Jean-Luc Rochford free-kick directed towards the far lower corner.
The opening goal in the night's second match came much faster than the first as within the first two minutes, Cummings blasted home a left footed strike from 21-yards which whisked past a stunned Police custodian, Adrian Foncette, formerly of Stars.
Foncette was more alert in the 35th minute to deny Trevin Ceasar, but four minutes before the break Cummings was on the end of a brilliant long diagonal pass from midfielder Jeromie Williams, and after eluding defender Ariei Mc David outside the area he beat Foncette with relative ease.
Two minutes after the re-start Foncette came to his team's rescue again by keeping out another effort by Ceasar and in the 71st minute be blanked Cummings.
The heroics of Foncette seemed to spark some life into Police as within two minutes at the other end, his team sliced the lead in half when Jameel Perry's looping header off a poor clearance following a chip into the area by Trent Noel left Stars' second choice goalkeeper Stefan Berkeley beaten.
However, Stars managed to hang on for the winner and will now meet Central FC in Friday's second semifinal at Couva while W Connection tackles Pt Fortin Civic from 6 pm.
On Friday last, Central FC crushed Caledonia 4-0 and Pt Fortin Civic got the better of Defence Force 4-3 on penalty-kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation-time.
The semifinal winners meet in the final on April 25 with the champions set to take away an increased base prize, from $20,000 to $30,000 and $3,000 for every goal scored in the final, $2,000 for every goal scored in the semifinal, and $1,000 for every goal scored in the quarter-final round.
The runners-up prize structure pays out a $10,000 base amount and $1,500 for every goal scored in the Final, $1,000 for every goal scored in the semifinal, and $500 for every goal scored in the quarter-final round.
There are also cash incentives for the leading goal-scorer, most outstanding player, most outstanding coach, and the "Lucozade Sport Goal Pot" for spectators from the semi-final round.
quarterfinal results
W Connection 3 (Tremain Shayn Paul 8th, Jamal Clarence 15th, Hashim Arcia 24th) vs Jabloteh 1 (Kareem Smith 76th)
North East Stars 2 (Kerron Cummings 2nd, 41st) vs Police 1 (Jameel Perry 75th)
Upcoming Lucozade Sports
Goal Shield semifinals:
April 11
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
W Connection vs Point Fortin Civic, 6 pm
Central FC vs North East Stars, 8 pm
Final
April 25
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
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