Veteran midfielder Marvin Oliver was the toast of Central FC after his second-half header earned the Couva-based club a 1-0 win over T&TEC in an all-Digicel T&T Pro League FA Trophy semifinal at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Wednesday.
Central FC, featuring new signings Antiguan Peter Byers, Jason Marcano and Weslie John, started the brighter and should have gone ahead after six minutes.
However, Marcano’s dangerous free kick to the far post was missed by two of his lunging teammates and five minutes later the nippy attacker sent in another cross which John directed straight at goalkeeper Akini Adams.
T&TEC captain Keeron Benito had his team’s first real effort on goal when he tested goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in the 17th minute and soon after at the other end, Adams was forced into more action when he denied a long-distance blast from former Puerto Rico Islanders striker Justin Fojo to keep the score goalless.
And when the Central FC attack did manage to get past Adams, it was denied by the woodwork as was the case in the 22nd minute when Byers passed to Marcano only to see the effort whisk past the T&TEC custodian but canon off the crossbar.
Despite their lack of fortune, Central continued to push for the opener with Oliver hitting overbar in the 35th minute as both teams went into the break still in search of the opener.
Seven minutes after the restart, national under-20 striker and Presentation College of San Fernando striker Shackeil Henry picked out an unmarked T&TEC’s Sylvester Teesdale in the Central FC 18-yard box, but he fired straight at Phillip, who tipped over for a corner.
However, with the minutes running down, Oliver, a former FA winner with Fenwick at Jabloteh, headed in the decisive item in 76th minute off a well-placed Marcano cross at the far post for Central's winning item.
It was the second win of the season for Central FC over T&TEC, having won their lone Pro League 2-1 with Tyrone Charles and Anthony Wolfe scoring second-half goals to cancel out Benito’s first-half strike.
In the final on March 1, Central FC will come up against the winner of Wednesday’s other semifinal between 2003 winner and two-time holder and reigning champion Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA.
This, after the depleted Caledonia minus no fewer than nine first team regulars who have all gone on trials either in Europe or USA eked out a 1-0 win over host Stokely Vale of the National Super League at the Plymouth Recreation Ground, Plymouth.
Lanky midfielder Sheldon Holder was the scorer for the Jerry Moe-coached Morvant/Laventille-based ”Stallions.” The result avenged a 6-5 sudden-death penalty-kicks loss in the round-of-16 of the Toyota Classic last November.
The meeting between Caledonia and Stokely Vale was initially set for the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, a week earlier but was called off due to a no-show of officials.
In last week’s quarterfinals, Stars secured a 4-2 penalty-kicks victory over Central Football Association’s Cunupia FC following a 1-1 draw; Central FC blanked Secondary Schools Football League’s Shiva Boys’ Hindu College 2-0 and T&TEC needed kicks from the penalty spot to beat Pt Fortin Civic Centre, winners of SFA treble crown.
Central FC into prize-less FA final.
By Mark Pouchet (Express).
Central FC edged fellow Pro League outfit T&TEC FC 1-0 to secure their berth in the final of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) FA Trophy competition at Ato Boldon Stadium on Wednesday night, as teams discovered that there will be no cash awards this year.
And in a rescheduled quarter-final match in Tobago, defending champions Caledonia AIA replicated that scoreline to beat Stokely Vale at Plymouth Recreation Ground.
Midfielder Marvin Oliver's 76th minute header past goalkeeper Akini Adams secured the triumph for the Central "Sharks".
For Caledonia, midfielder Sheldon Holder scored a 55th minute item to ensure his team's progress to the semi-final stage, where they tackle former FA winners North East Stars on Wednesday. The winner of this encounter will meet Central with the one spot of the final, scheduled for March 1, up for grabs then.
But in the news of the day, newly-installed TTFF President Raymond Tim Kee said that this season's tournament has no prize money, according to a story on local sporting website wired868.
In the Lasana Liburd story, Tim Kee was quoted as saying: "There is no money for the FA (winners), just the conventional medals and trophies. The football has no money now. Every time a little money comes in, it is a matter of filling holes. You can't get blood out of stone."
Clubs were reported to be shocked to discover a lack of financial reward.
Meanwhile in Wednesday's semi-final coach Terry Fenwick's Sharks dominated the first half play without being able to convert that into scoring, their first win under the Englishman.
Their best chance came when Central midfielder Justin Fojo's well-placed long range shot had goalkeeper Akini Adams extending himself fully to deny the Central team.
When Central striker Peter Byers did beat Adams from the top of the box, the shot struck the crossbar and rebounded back into play.
T&TEC put up more of a fight in the second period.
From inside the 18-metre box, T&TEC's Sylvester Teesdale struck directly at Central goalkeeper Marvin Phillip who parried for a corner.
TTFF FA Trophy
Semi-Final 1
T&TEC FC 0 vs Central FC 1 (Marvin Oliver 76th)
Quarter-Final
Stokely Vale 0 vs Caledonia AIA 1 (Sheldon Holder 55th)
Teams
T&TEC FC--Akini Adams, Keeron Benito (capt.), Larry Bacchus, Cebastien Bailey, Eustace Darius (Mickell Charles 86th), Sylvester Teesdale (Yellow Card), Daniel Garcia, Adarryl John, Lester Edwards (Tigana Sparks 63rd), Skackeil Henry, Brent Garcia (Glen Sutton 25th).
Coach--Dexter Cyrus.
Central FC--Marvin Phillip (capt.), Justin Fojo, Peter Byers, Marvin Oliver, Weslie John, Jason Marcano, Keion Goodridge, Marc Leslie (Cyrano Glen 63rd), Hayden Tinto (Sayid Freitas 77th), Carey Harris, Akeem Adams.
Coach--Terry Fenwick.