T&T international Real Gill netted a goal in each half to lead Tiger Tanks Club Sando to an entertaining 3-2 win over defending champion Defence Force in the feature match of a T&T Premier Football League Tier I Division at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain on Friday night.
With leader AC Port-of-Spain on a maximum of nine points from three matches on a bye the army/coast-guard combination team, second with seven points, had a chance to move top of the 11-team table.
However, it was Club Sando, coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw with Eagles FC who drew first blood with Gill scoring for the second straight match to give his team the lead in the 11th minute.
Ten minutes before the half-time interval, Defence Force brimming with confidence after a 3-1 defeat of Prisons Service FC, managed to draw level with national midfielder Kevon Goddard on target for a 1-1 half-time score.
Three minutes into the second half, Maurice Dick restored Club Sando's lead but once again the army/coast-guard combination unit replied, this time through national defender Justin Garcia.
The "Teteron Men's" joy was short-lived though with Gill firing in his second of the match three minutes later to restore his team's narrow cushion which they held until the final whistle for their second win in three matches, joining their rivals on seven points, but with a match in hand.
In the first match at Mucurapo, coach Michael De Four and Eagles FC got a first win of the campaign 2-0 over Heritage Petroleum Point Fortin Civic Centre with Exilus Angelo on target in the 17th minute, and the prolific Kevon Woodley ten minutes later as they moved to sixth on the standings with five points, the same as Police Fc who hosts Prison Service today the Ken Cooke Ground, St James Police Barracks, from 6 pm.
At Phase II Recreation Ground, La Horquetta, Caledonia also got its first win of the season, a 3-1 whipping of Central FC after a goalless first half.
For Caledonia, Ronell Paul fired in the go-ahead item in the 51st minute only for former Caledonia striker Nathan Lewis to reply for Central FC in the 76th.
The match seemed headed for a draw but Isaiah Vallenilla had other ideas and restored Caledonia's lead in the 87th before Mahvy Rismay added an insurance item four minutes into time added-on.
On Thursday at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Mickaeel Jem Gordon (5th), Adriel George (55th), Trevonne James (66th) and Jariel Arthur (90+3) were all on target as 1976 FC Phoenix stunned a much-changed Terminix La Horquetta Rangers line-up 4-0.
It was the first win of the season for Phoenix, who are competing in the top flight for the first time after capturing the Tier II Division title last season.
Results
Round Four
Friday:
Caledonia FC 3 (Ronell Paul 51st, Isaiah Vallenilla 87th, Mahvy Rismay 90+4) vs Central FC 1 (Nathan Lewis 76th)
Eagles FC 2 (Exilus Angelo 17th, Kevon Woodley 27th) vs Point Fortin Civic Centre 0
Club Sando 3 (Real Gill 11th, 71st, Maurice Dick 48th) vs Defence Force 2 (Kevon Goddard 35th, Justin Garcia 67th)
Thursday:
1976 FC Phoenix 4 (Mickaeel Jem Gordon 5th, Adriel George 55th, Trevonne James 66th, Jariel Arthur 90+3) vs La Horquetta Rangers 0
Current standings:
Position Teams P W D L F A Pts
1*AC PoS*3*3*0*0*8*2*9
2*Defence Force*4*2*1*1*12*6*7
3*Club Sando*3*2*1*0*5*3*7
4*Prison FC*3*2*0*1*7*5*6
5 L.H Rangers*4*2*0*2*6*8*6
6*FC Eagles*4*1*2*1*5*4*5
7*Police FC*3*1*2*0*5*3*5
8*Point Fortin*3*1*0*2*5*4*3
9*Caledonia*3*1*0*2*4*6*3
10*1976 Phoenix*4*1*0*3*5*11*3
11*Central FC*4*0*0*4*2*12*0
Sunday's match
Police vs Prison Service, Ken Cooke Ground, St James Police Barracks, 6 pm