Brazilian striker Euller Eduardo Silva Couto produced two assists in his first start for W Connection in a 3-0 win over Super League side Bethel United when Round-of-32 action in the 2017 FA Trophy continued on Wednesday.
Silva, a 23-year-old former attacker of Brazil’s Futebol Clube do Porto, set up goals scored by St. Lucian forward Shivorne Malik St. Prix and Daniel Diaz on either side of the break before substitute forward Dimitri Apai completed the comfortable win at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium to send the four-time FA Trophy champions into the Round-of-16 carded for Sunday 22 October.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, a hat-trick from Jameel Perry saw Police FC’s Pro League outfit make like work of Super League’s University of Trinidad and Tobago for a 3-1 win at the St. James Barracks.
Perry scored in the 6th, 68th and 76th minutes for coach Richard Hood’s Police while Trinidad and Tobago’s 2006 World Cup striker Cornell Glen grabbed the lone item for the Clayton Morris-coached UTT in the 9th minute.
Police’s Super League outfit also advances into the next round of FA Trophy action after edging Southern Football Association side San Fernando Giants 1-0 in Point Fortin courtesy an 85th-minute Jason Boodram strike.
There was, however, Pro League casualty at the Barataria Oval when a double from ex-PL standout Michael Edwards lifted Defence Force’s Super League side to a 2-1 comeback win over hosts San Juan Jabloteh.
Jamaican midfielder Keithy Simpson fired the two-time former FA Trophy winners Jabloteh ahead after 18 minutes but veteran Edwards first equalised for soldiers in the 33rd minute before completing his double with the winner in the 72nd minute.
In Marabella though, it was one-way traffic for Pro League’s W Connection against Bethel although the Savonetta Boys’ assistant coach Earl Jean fielded a number of non-regulars such as Silva, 21-year-old Venezuelan left-back Frank Padilla Gil and ex-Point Fortin Civic defender Weslie John who were signed in August.
But John, 26, back in Trinidad following a stints El Salvador (CD Universidad de El Salvador) and Belarus (Isloch Minsk Raion), lasted no more than seven minutes after picking up a harsh knock from Bethel’s Nkosei Chance.
Jean meanwhile stood in charge with head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier currently in Mexico as assistant coach to Dennis Lawrence with the T&T national team for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against El Tri.
St. Prix, scorer of a hat-trick in a 12-0 crushing of Tamana United in the Round-of-64, broke the deadlock four minutes from the break with a flicked header past the broad stature of Bethel goalie Kenneil Roberts.
The lanky St. Prix redeemed himself after two failed chances by connecting to Silva’s perfectly-placed left side cross to send the Savonetta Boys in at the interval with a 1-0 lead.
Roberts, who produced a great save after fifteen minutes to put behind a St. Prix header, later failed to match a brilliantly struck Diaz strike six minutes into the second half as Connection found the 2-0 cushion.
The match was put further out of Bethel’s reach when Suriname international Apai made it 3-0 by executing a cool finish past a hapless Roberts thanks to a diagonal feed to the left by Jameel Antoine.
Antoine should have ended Connection with a five-nil score but the midfielder miraculously turned two separate scoring chances -- thanks to two Silva feeds -- at the death wide with the vacant goal at his mercy while substitute Shaquille John was denied by the crossbar.
Other Wednesday results includes Andy London and Amin Julien both finishing hat-trick heroes for Club Sando Moruga in a 6-3 win over Sangre Grande Dream Team in Grand Chemin and 1976 FC Phoenix cruising to a 4-1 win over fellow Super League side Prisons FC at the Youth Training Centre in Arouca.
Round-of-32 action resumes Thursday (today) with the highly anticipated Club Sando-Guaya United clash from 3:30pm at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium. Elsewhere MIC-IT St. Ann’s Rangers will host Fire Service from 4pm at St. Augustine Secondary School Ground; FC Santa Rosa will host Santa Flora FC from 3:45pm at Arima Velodrome, and Cunupia FC meets Central Soccer World from 6:30pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium training field.
Results
W Connection (Pro League) 3 (Shirvone Malik St. Prix 41’, Daniel Diaz 51’, Dimitri Apai 85’) vs Bethel United (SL) 0, at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella;
Prisons FC (SL) 1 (Isaiah Thomas 2’) vs 1976 FC Phoenix (SL) 4 (Dominic Kerr 24’, Kaleb Douglas 69’, Andell Noray 80’, Noel Williams 83’), at Youth Training Centre, Golden Grove Road, Arouca;
Club Sando Moruga (SL) 6 (Andy London 27’, 41’, 61’, Amin Julien 29’, 33’, 83’) vs Sangre Grande Dream Team (ECFU) 3 (Ashai Charles 36’, Jamaal Sample 58’, Patrick Parris 65’ pen.), at Grand Chemin, Moruga;
San Juan Jabloteh (Pro League) 1 (Keithy Simpson 18’) vs Defence Force FC (SL) 2 (Michael Edwards 33’, 72’), at Barataria Oval, Barataria;
Police FC (Pro League) 3 (Jameel Perry 6’, 68’, 76’) vs UTT (SL) 1 (Cornell Glen 9’), at Police Barracks, St. James;
San Fernando Giants (SFA) 0 vs Police FC (SL) 1 (Jason Boodram 85’), at Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin.
Teams
W Connection (Pro League): 18.Julani Archibald (GK); 2.Frank Padilla Gil, 3.Gerard Williams, 11.Shirvone Malik St. Prix (10.Dimitri Apai 65th minute), 13.Hughtun Hector (Capt.) (30.Shaquille John 76th minute), 14.Euller Eduardo Couto, 19.Briel Thomas, 20.Daniel Diaz, 23.Weslie John (4.Maurice Ford 7th minute), 24.Jameel Antoine, 26.Isaiah Garcia.
Unused substitutes: 1.Terrence Lewis (GK); 21.Rondell Paul.
Coach: Earl Jean
Bethel United (Super League): 23.Kenneil Roberts (GK); 3.Oral Williams, 7.Christian Caines, 8.Jerome Toby, 9.Tee Jay Cadiz, 10.Kyson Lewis (20.Anton Simon 67th minute), 11.Densyl James, 13.Azimodeen Leith (27.Akilon Nedd 88th minute), 18.Makan Hislop (Capt.), 19.Nkosei Chance, 22.Chevi McMillan (5.Shaquiele Gardiner 79th minute).
Unused substitutes: 24.Jayriel Stephen, 29.Masimba George.
Coach: Urinton Samuel
Upcoming Fixtures
(Thursday 5 October 2017)
Club Sando (Pro League) vs Guaya United (SL), 3:30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella;
FC Santa Rosa (SL) vs Santa Flora FC (SFA), 3:45pm, Arima Velodrome;
MIC-IT St. Ann’s Rangers (Pro League) vs Fire Services (CFA), 4pm, St. Augustine Senior Secondary School Ground, St. Augustine;
Cunupia FC (SL) vs Central Soccer World (CFA), 6:30pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium training field, Port of Spain.