Akeem Garcia scored a second-half double as defending champions DirecTV W Connection overcame a stubborn St Ann's Rangers with four second-half goals in the Digicel T&T Pro League at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, yesterday.
Midfielder Jomol Williams was the first to get on the scoresheet in the 65th minute while national Under-20 midfielder Akeem Garcia doubled the lead in the 68th before
He added his second in the 83rd followed by a Jerrel Britton strike three minutes later as W Connection improved to 23 points from 11 matches, three behind leaders Central FC while Defence Force and Japs North East Stars are next with 20 points each after their wins on Friday night.
On Friday night at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, inform Defence Force forward Richard Roy took his Digicel Pro League tally to seven goals, with a first half brace in a 2-1 win over struggling Caledonia AIA.
Roy, fresh off a hat-trick against Queen's Park CC FC in a 7-1 preliminary round T&T Football Association FA win on Wednesday , scored in spectacular fashion for his first on Friday night.
The 27-year-old Defence Force target man–making the best of life in the spot light with regular ace Devorn Jorsling a regular on the bench–catapulted a Marvin Jones cross into goalkeeper Shemel Louison's upper corner at the near post for a 1-0 advantage over Caledonia on the 27th minute.
And in the 45th minute Roy was awarded his second on the night when his strike ricocheted off goalkeeper Louison then defender Pierre Hitner and into the back of the net for a 2-0 cushion.
The goal levelled Roy with Jabloteh's Kerry Baptiste and Central FC's Ataulla Guerra on seven goals at the top of the scoring charts.
However, Defence Force did not have things all its way though as five minutes into the second period, Caledonia's Guyana internationl Pernell Schultz reduced the deficit 1-2 from the penalty spot for his seventh goal of the season as well after referee Callum Marshall ruled for a handled ball against Jones in the 18-yard box.
In the night's opener, North East Stars, also plucked a 2-1 win, over Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh thanks to a blunder in the 89th minute by goalkeeper Raheem Belgrave, who allowed a cross by substitute Dwane James to slip through his hands and legs near the goalline, for an unmarked Keryn Navarro to tap the ball into an empty net.
National Under-20 midfielder Neveal Hackshaw had given Stars a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the match with a diving header at the back post which his team took into the break after goalkeeper Cleon John denied Jabloteh's Jamaican Adrian Reid stinging volley at the near post on the whistle.
However, Jabloteh eventually drew level in the 62nd minute thanks to a header as well from Josiah Trimmingham from a flighted Tyrone Charles free-kick, only for Belgrave to mess up at the death.
Today, leaders' Central FC face fifth placed Police FC at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 4pm with the aim of reclaiming its six-point cushion ahead of Tuesday's next round of matches.
results
Digicel T&T Pro League
Yesterday:
W Connection 4 (Akeem Garcia 68th, 83rd, Jomol Williams 65th, Jerrel Britton 86th) vs St Ann's Rangers 0
Friday:
North East Stars 2 (Neveal Hackshaw 11th, Keryn Navarro 89th) vs San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Josiah Trimmingham 67th)
Defence Force 2 (Richard Roy 27th, 45th) vs Caledonia AIA 1 (Pernell Schultz 50th)
Current Digicel T&T Pro League standings:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Central FC 11 8 2 1 29 8 26
W Connection 11 7 2 2 25 6 23
Defence Force 11 6 2 3 18 15 20
North East Stars 12 6 2 4 11 8 20
Jabloteh 12 4 4 4 17 18 16
Police 11 3 5 3 15 21 14
Pt Fortin Civic 11 3 2 6 19 20 11
Caledonia 11 3 2 6 16 22 11
Rangers 12 0 1 11 8 39 1
Upcoming matches
Today: (Sunday Feb 1)
Police FC vs Central FC, Ato Boldon Stadium Stadium, Couva, 6 pm
Tuesday February 2:
Pt Fortin Civic vs W Connection, Mahaica Oval, Pt Fortin, 4 pm
North East Stars vs Police FC, Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, 6 pm
Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva:
Caledonia AIA vs St Ann's Rangers, 6 pm
Defence Force vs Central FC, 8 pm