Defence Force and Tobago Chicas secured their spots in the semifinals of the T&T Women’s League Football (WoLF) after ending as winners of their respective Trinidad Group and Tobago Groups when the regular season concluded last weekend (June 21-22).
On Thursday at the Defence Force Headquarters Reserve Ground in Macqueripe, Chaguaramas, host Defence Force got a goal each from four different players in their 4-0 blanking of reigning champions Club Sando to secure the top spot in the Trinidad Group.
Going into the contest, Defence Force (37 points) held a one-point lead over Club Sando and needed only a draw to stay on course to finish as group winners ahead of their final match on Sunday.
In the 29th minute, midfielder Anne Fernandez fired in a free kick from about 20 yards out off the back of the goalkeeper after the ball ricocheted into play off the crossbar to put the host ahead.
With 19 minutes left in the contest, former Club Sando starlet Nikita Gosine made certain there was no way back for her former teammates when he doubled Defence Force’s advantage to 2-0 before Aaliyah Prince (76th) and Dennecia Prince (80th) added one each to put the stamp on the victory to open a four-point lead, which was followed by a win by default on Sunday over Trincity Nationals while Club Sando thrashed Diego Martin Central United 23-1 to end the regular season on a high.
For Club Sando, Collette Morgan (third, fifth, 43rd, 48th, 70th, 79th, 90+1) and Jessica Harragin (ninth, 12th, 19th, 20th, 39th, 80th, 83rd) both fired in seven goals to lead the onslaught against the host at the Diego Martin Central Secondary Ground.
Shienika Paul also added a hat-trick in the 31st, 53rd, and 73rd minutes with Rasheeda Archer (sixth, 14th) and Javanah Moreno (11th, 26th) scoring twice each, and Ahkeela Mollon (27th), and Karyn Forbes (61st), the others while Diego Martin Central United got a consolation strike from Karimah Charles in the 50th.
The University of T&T (UTT) warmed up for the quarterfinals with a 16-0 trouncing of Athletic International Academy at the UTT Ground, O’Meara Road, Arima on Sunday inspired by a nine-goal burst from Tyeisha Griffith.
Griffth scored in the 16th, 24th, 30th, 34th, 39th, 54th, 60th, 61st, and 65th while the trio of Mariah Williams (50th, 72nd), Kanika Rodriguez (51st, 89th) and Anastasia O’Brien (81st, 82nd) got braces, and Carissa Cowan, the other in the 88th as they ended in the third spot with 28 points.
Over in the Tobago Group on Saturday, Tobago Chicas got a goal each from J’Eleisha Alexander and Terrysha Harry to beat Jewels SC at Courland Recreation Ground in Black Rock for the Tobago Group title and the automatic semifinal spot in the national playoffs.
The win lifted Tobago Chicas to 34 points from 17 matches, two more than Jewels SC who started the encounter in the top spot but will now compete in the national quarterfinals along with second, third and fourth-placed teams from the Trinidad Group.
Results
Trinidad Group
Sunday
UTT 16 (Tyeisha Griffith 16th, 24th, 30th, 34th, 39th, 54th, 60th, 61st, 65th, Mariah Williams 50th, 72nd, Kanika Rodriguez 51st, 89th, Anastasia O’Brien 81st, 82nd, Carissa Cowan 88th) vs Athletic International Academy 0
Club Sando 23 (Collette Morgan 3rd, 5th, 43rd, 48th, 70th, 79th, 90+1, Jessica Harragin 9th, 12th, 19th, 20th, 39th, 80th, 83rd, Shienika Paul 31st, 53rd, 73rd, Rasheeda Archer 6th, 14th, Javanah Moreno 11th, 26thj, Ahkeela Mollon 27th, , Karyn Forbes 61st) vs vs Diego Martin Central Utd 1 (Karimah Charles 50th)
Defence Force 3 vs Trincity Nationals 0 - by default
Police 1 (Shaquilla Daniel) vs Point Pioneers 0
Thursday
UTT 3 vs Diego Martin Central Unietd 0 -by default
Defence Force 4 (Anne Fernandez 29th, Nikita Gosine 71st, Aaliyah Prince 76th, Dennecia Prince 80th) vs Club Sando 0
Police 5 (Chinade Prudence 2, Asha James, Oya Harper, Trishell Charles) vs AIA 0
June 15
Police 12 (Trishell Charles 2, Jhanay Campbell 2, Chinade Prudence 2, Oya Harper 2, Shaquilla Daniel 2, Shakeria Williams, Asha Jones) vs Diego Martin Central United 1 (Akilah Crawford)
Tobago Group
Saturday
Tobago Chicas 2 (J’Eleisha Alexander, Terrysha Harry) vs Jewels SC 0
Final T&T WoLF standings
Trinidad Group
Pos TEAM P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Defence Force 15 14 1 0 87 1 86 43
2. Club Sando 15 13 0 2 114 10 104 39
3. UTT Patriots 15 9 1 5 61 14 47 28
4. Point Pioneers 15 6 2 7 42 35 7 20
5. Police 15 6 2 7 34 37 -3 20
6. AIA 15 4 3 8 10 56 -46 15
7. Trincity Nationals 15 4 3 8 21 34 -13 15
8. DMC Utd 15 1 0 14 7 133 -126 3
Tobago Group
Pos TEAM P W D L Pts
1. Tobago Chicas 17 10 4 3 34
2. Jewels SC 17 10 2 5 32
3. Black Panthers 17 4 4 9 16
4. Combined Ballerz 17 1 2 13 5
Upcoming matches
National Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Saturday
Venue: Phase II Rec. Grd, La Horquetta.
Jewls SC vs Point Pioneers, 5 pm
Club Sando vs UTT, 7 pm
Semifinals
July 6
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
Tobago Chicas vs Club Sando/UTT winner, 4 pm
Defence Force vs Jewls SC/Point Pioneers winner, 6 pm
Final and Third place:
July 13
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva: