Connection qualifies comfortably for CFU Club Championship semis

Connection, 2-0 winner over Haitian club Victory SC on Sunday courtesy a pair of goals by striker Hashim Arcia, jumped to the top of the Group Five table with six (6) points, three points ahead of Antigua Barracudas (3 points), while Victory and Moengoetapoe are without points.

Barracudas and Victory played to a goalless draw in the first match of a round two Group Five double header at the Couva venue.

However in the second clash, goals were abundant with Arcia and teammate Shahdon Winchester scoring twice and defender Kern Cupid and midfielder Rennie Britto also putting their names on the scoresheet.

Winchester, who had a miserable outing against the Haitians on Sunday, opened the scoring in just the 3rd minute guiding a firm cross by hardworking right winger Rennie Britto past goalkeeper Brayen Damba for a 1-0 score and got his second in the 52nd minute for his team’s fourth item.

Coach Stuart Charles Fevrier started with a few changes from Sunday’s 2-0 winning squad against Victory, with injured defender Leslie Joel Russell replaced by Akeem Benjamin and defenders Kern Cupid and Kemuel Rivers making the starting line-up while striker Jerrel Britto and midfielder Andre Quashie were rested on the bench.

Connection looked confident from the beginning, with even defender Joevin Jones playing a central midfield role as appose to his regular left wingback position, had a crack on goal from distance in the 7th minute which was deflected out for a corner.

Jones then provided a low telling cross two minutes later, only to see Arcia smashed an effort just wide.

The Pro League club then made it 2-0 by the 31st minute with Arcia bundling in his third of the tournament thanks to a pass inside the area by Britto who missed one himself in the 24th minute, flicking just wide of the near upright off a short cross by Rivers.

Connection then made it 3-0 three minutes before the break, leaving Moengoetapoe mangled when Winchester turned provider when he slipped a pass to Kern Cupid and the wingback made no mistake from close-up burying the ball into the back of the net.

The Fevrier coached side had two misses overbar by Winchester and Jones against the stunned visitors before the break.

Moengoetapoe failed to produce a better second half performance conceding Winchester’s second seven minutes after the break, and Arcia’s second of the match in the 58th minute.

Moengoetapoe boiled over even giving away a free kick just outside the area, and Rennie Britto demonstrated class when he whipped in a powerful effort to beat Damba for a 6-0 score.

Dampa didn’t hang up his gloves despite the scoreline, making a pair of saves against substitute Jerrel Britto and Jones before the end.

However a frustrated teammate Cladio Pinas called it a day when he picked up a red card from referee Sherwin Johnson of Guyana in the 82nd minute for dissent.

The Surinamese best effort on goal, even for a consolation item, was shut down by the upright against a decent effort by Stephano Pijssel four minutes from time.

On Thursday Moengotapoe will be against Victory from 5:30pm and Connection against Barracudas from 7:30pm in the final Group Five match-day at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

Results

Inter Moengoetapoe 0—6 W Connection
Shahdon Winchester 3’, 52’, Hashim Arcia 31’, 58’, Kern Cupid 42’, Rennie Britto 65’

Teams

Inter Moengoetapoe—Brayen Damba, Patrick Jimmy (capt), Anduelo Amoeferie (Naldo Kwasie 38th), Ives Vlijter, Claudio Pinas, Jerrel Adensiba, Stephano Pijssel (Clarence Plein 89th), Stefan Baneti (Junglo Brunswijk 64th), Germaine Van Dijck, Petrus Apanta.

Coach—Jeroe Hesron.

W Connection—Jan Michael Williams (capt), Akeem Benjamin, Elijah Joseph (Christian Viveros), Kemuel Rivers, Rennie Britto, Clyde Leon, Gerard Williams, Kern Cupid, Hashim Arcia (Jomal Williams 67th), Joevin Jones, Shahdon Winchester (Jerrel Britto 56th).

Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier.