Terminix La Horquetta Rangers has a point to prove to their fans at home in Phase II La Horquetta on Friday evening from 6 pm.
Their under-par performances to date have left them one spot from the bottom of the 12-team standings with five points from seven matches, a far cry from the team that finished fourth in 2023.
Coach Dave Quamina’s men have won just once in seven encounters and drawn twice. With four losses dominating their figures, both Quamina and his players could face a hostile crowd when they come up against FC Phoenix, the Tobagonians who, despite being in the top-flight football league for only their second time, still hold a one-point advantage on the home team.
Quamina said his team is the youngest in the league, and they are giving them the time to find themselves in the game. The Rangers attacking style of play, which Quamina said they do not ever change regardless of who they are up against, will be no easy game to play going up against a more experienced bunch of players than them.
“We’re not rushing the young players. The team is made up mostly of players from the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), so we are being patient with them. Against Phoenix, we are going to play our game, but coming up against a team with more experienced players than ours, the result can go in anybody’s favour,” Quamina explained.
“The young Rangers boys have struggled to play to the pace of the league, but we are confident that they will get there eventually,” said Quamina.
In their last match at the Barracks, Rangers instrumental striker Isaiah Lee scored a double, but his team went down to a 4-3 defeat to San Juan Jabloteh, who got goals from Derrel ‘Zoom Zoom’ Garcia, Elijah Seechan, Andell Fraser, and Keanu John.
In the other game tonight at 8 pm, MIC Central FC Reboot will attempt to rebound from a 3-0 loss to in-form favourites Defence Force. Despite the result, though, the Central Sharks, as Central FC is known, still hold the second-place position in the standings with 15 points, courtesy of a better goal difference than AC Port of Spain, who is also on 15 points.
FRIDAY’S MATCHES
FC Phoenix vs La Horquetta Rangers- 6 pm @ La Horquetta Recreation Ground
MIC Central CF Reboot vs Point Fortin Civic- 8 pm @ La Horquetta Recreation Ground
SATURDAY
FC Eagles vs San Juan Jabloteh- 6pm @ Arima Velodrome
Club Sando vs Defence Force- 8 pm @ Arima Velodrome
SUNDAY
AC Port of Spain vs Prison FC- 5 pm @ Police Barracks, St James
Caledonia vs Miscellaneous Police- 7 pm @ Police Barracks, St James
Latest StandingsTeams*P*W*D*L*F*A*GD*Pts
1. Defence Force FC*7*7*0*0*31*9*22*21
2. Central FC*7*5*0*2*16*9*7*15
3. AC PoS*7*5*0*2*16*10*6*15
4. Caledonia AIA*7*4*1*2*11*13*-2*13
5. Jabloteh*7*3*2*2*17*15*2*11
6. Police FC*7*3*1*3*20*12*8*10
7. Club Sando*7*2*3*2*14*8*6*9
8. Prison Service FC*7*1*3*3*9*14*-5*6
9. Point Fortin Civic*7*2*0*5*8*13*-5*6
10. 1976 FC Phoenix*7*2*0*5*10*12*-2*6
11. La Horquetta Rangers*7*1*2*4*10*16*-6*5
12. Eagles FC*7*1*0*6*7*31*-24*3