Tobago teams win home advantage in FA Trophy third round draw
Current Digicel Pro League leaders Central FC will host Eastern Football Association (EFA) side SKHY FC from 6:15 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Sunday in the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) FA Trophy Third Round (Round of 16).
Clashes were determined on Wednesday at the TTFA’s office at the Hasely Crawford Stadium during a random draw, which earned all four Tobago clubs home advantage in the third round.
Super League outfits Bethel United and Stokely Vale FC will host three-time winners (1998, 2005 & 2010-2011) Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh on Sunday from 5 pm in Montgomery and defending champions DIRECTV W Connection, winners in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2013-2014, on Monday from 6 pm at the Plymouth Recreation Ground respectively.
Bethel defeated fellow Tobagonian Super League outfit D Lime Bar Goal City 2-1 at the Plymouth Recreation Ground in the second round (Round of 32) contested last Sunday, while Stokely Vale advanced without play after a no-show by Southern Football Association (SFA) outfit Penal All Stars.
Tobago Football Association (TFA) side Black Rock FC also advanced into the third round without play after a no-show by SFA side Moruga FC, and will host Pro League’s Defence Force from 3:30 pm at the Black Rock Recreation Ground on Sunday.
Defence Force, winners in 1974, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1991 & 1996, crushed QPCC FC 7-1 in the preliminary round before shrugging off their Super League Defence Force counterparts 2-0 in round two.
While TFA side Roxborough Lakers, 5-4 penalty winners following a 1-1 draw against Central Football Association (CFA) side Cunupia FC at the Cyd Gray Recreation Ground in the second round, will host Northern Football Association (NFA) side St. Francois Nationals from 6 pm at the same Tobago venue on Monday.
St. Francois advanced to the third round without play after Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU) side Tamana United failed to have their D’Marie Hill Recreation Ground venue prepared for play.
Also in the third round on Sunday in Trinidad, 2003 winners North East Stars will take on three-time winners (2008, 2011-2012 & 2012-2013) Caledonia AIA from 3:30 pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium in the only all-Pro League tie, while three-time winners (1975, 1990 & 1994) Police FC will host Super League outfit Guaya United from 6 pm at the Police Training Ground in St. James, and Super League champions Club Sando are against former foes Point Fortin Civic from 4 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
North East Stars reached the third round by defeating CFA side Enterprise Life Sport 2-0 — the same score-line Caledonia got past EFA side Prison FC.
Police defeated TFA side Youth Stars 4-0 and Guaya defeated Rangers 2-0, while seven-time finalists W Connection spanked Super League outfit WASA FC 3-0 at the WASA home ground in St. Joseph.
Central, defeated FA Trophy finalists in the last two tournaments, were the biggest winners of this season's second round, trashing ECFU side Rio Claro United 7-0, which should be a big worry for SKHY, who edged NFA side Maple FC 2-1.
What should be even more worrying for the EFA second placed side is that Central, winners of this season’s First Citizens Cup and Rawle Fletcher and Akeem Adams Trophies, had only utilised a second string outfit against Rio Claro, just as seven-time finalists W Connection did against 2006 winners WASA.
FA Trophy Round of 16
Sunday 1 March 2015
Police FC vs Guaya United—6 pm, Police Training Ground, St. James
Bethel United vs San Juan Jabloteh—5 pm, Montgomery, Tobago
Black Rock FC vs Defence Force—3:30 pm, Black Rock Recreation Ground, Tobago
Club Sando vs Point Fortin Civic—4 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium
Central FC vs SKHY FC—6:15 pm, Ato Boldon Stadium
North East Stars vs Caledonia AIA—3:30 pm, Larry Gomes Stadium
Monday 2 March 2015
Stokelyvale FC vs W Connection—6 pm, Plymouth Recreation Ground, Tobago
Roxborough Lakers vs St. Francois Nationals—6 pm, Cyd Gray Recreation Ground, Tobago