Jorsling beaver does the trick for Army vs Tobago, Hector freekick sends Connection into Goal Shield semis

Jorsling, the Digicel Pro League championship leading goalscorer with 12 goals, registered three of his four items in a space of seven minutes early into the match before an injury time item to complete his beaver-trick.

But it wasn’t a walk in the park for the Soldiers who had their fourth item scored by midfielder Richard Roy against the Peter Granville coached Tobago United that found the back of the net three times through strikes by Kevon Woodley, Trinmaine Sobers and Brenton Charles.

The Soldiers went ahead in as early as the eight minute when Jerwyn Balthazar chipped a pass into the area directed to Richard Roy which dismantled the Tobago defence and after a bundle inside the area Jorsling poked a shot into the net for a 1-0 advantage. 

Jorsling then made it 2-0 in the 12th minute for his second in four minutes pouncing on a spill by goalkeeper Johnson who failed to gather Kevon Carter’s low effort.

Jorsling then added his third item for a 3-0 advantage by the 15th minute volleying past a hapless Johnson after Balthazar headed down left wingback Aklie Edwards’ cross into the path of the leading goalscorer.

Tobago United’s Woodley was their most outstanding player of the first half created a couple chances before finding the back of the net.

In the 16th minute the lanky forward eluded Defence Force wingback Aklie Edwards before pulling an effort wide of the near post and in the 21st minute he headed wide from a corner.

But Woodley finally pulled one back for the Tobagonians in the 26th minute, reducing the deficit 3-1, after out-jumping the Army defence to head past goalkeeper Kevin Graham from a corner.

Woodley then forced a save out of Graham to win another corner in the 30th minute. However the quickly taken kick provided little threat against Defence Force.

Two minutes inside the second period and Woodley was alive again when he opened room for himself to unleash a low shot from above the area to put goalkeeper Graham in action.

But moments later the Tobagonians were on the defence when captain and defender Kayode McKinnon had to make an excellent clearance off the line to deny Jorsling in the 54th and in the 55th Jorsling was again denied—this time by goalkeeper Johnson.

However the Tobago side which earned the quarterfinal meeting against Defence Force after defeating St. Ann’s Rangers 6-5 on penalties in the preliminary round failed to shut out a blast from Roy seconds later as Defence Force celebrated a 4-1 comfort.

Tobago then pulled another item back in the 57th minute through midfielder Sobers who blasted a shot from the angle to beat Graham for a 2-4 score.

The Peter Granville coached side then added further excitement to the match cutting the deficit 4-3 after a brilliant run down the left by McKinnon to whip in a low cross to find Charles who made no mistake beating Graham.

But despite a solid showing from the Tobagonians in the end, Jorsling found the back of the net a fourth time after meeting a brilliant through-ball by substitute Kerry Joseph to slip a shot past Johnson for a 5-3 finish securing Defence Force’s place in the semifinals of this year’s Goal Shield.

Defence Force 5—3 Tobago United
Devorn Jorsling 8’, 12’, 15’, 90’+, Richard Roy 55’ ; Kevon Woodley 26’, Trinmaine Sobers 57’, Brenton Charles 62’

Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt), Keston Williams (Albert Dexter Thornhill 68th), Devin Jordan, Kurt Williams, Devon Jorsling, Kevon Carter, Jerwyn Balthazar (Kerry Joseph 75th), Dexter Pacheco, Aklie Edwards, Richard Roy (Christon Baptiste 63rd)

Coach—Ross Russell

Tobago United—Sean Johnson, Kayode McKinnon (capt), Durwin Ross, Dwayne Jack, Brenton Charles, Pavel Warrick, Kevon Woodley, Dwayne Murray, Duran Dilworth, Trimaine Sobers (Aziel Taylor 76th), Tichard Joseph (Kelvin Smith 69th)

Coach—Peter Granville

Match Referee—Ishmael Mohammed
 
Hector freekick sends Connection into Goal Shield semis.

A superb freekick in the 70th minute by midfielder Hughtun Hector gave defending Lucozade Sport Goal Shield champions W Connection a narrow 1-0 win over Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille on Friday night in the second quarterfinal clash of this year’s competition at the Marvin Lee Stadium.

After winning himself a freekick just outside the area against Walter Moore, diminutive midfielder Hector sent a curling effort past a fully stretched Jamaican goalkeeper Kevin Graham to put Connection ahead 1-0—and eventually the winner.

It was history repeated after Connection registered a win against Caledonia in last year’s quarterfinal of the Goal Shield.

The Couva based club had a decent effort just high and wide of the far corner when wingback Nickolson Thomas was very supportive inside the area to unleash the effort.

And in the 15th minute forward Matthew Bartholomew failed to put Connection ahead in a better opportunity after controlling Hector’s pass forward with only goalkeeper Kevin Graham to beat but guided his effort aimlessly wide.

Caledonia then suffered a blow in the 20th minute with experienced midfielder Densill Theobald pulling up injured to force an early change from coach Jerry Moe who pointed to forward Keyon Edwards as the replacement three minutes later.

Seconds into the second period Edwards was denied by goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams and in the 49th minute Guyanese forward Shawn Beveney hammered a shot into the side netting as Caledonia searched for the opening item.

Connection then won themselves a freekick in the 64th minute but a decent effort by young midfielder Kerron Cummings was measured well and pushed out for a corner by Graham.

Graham didn’t do the same in the 70th minute against Hector as Connection celebrated the advantage breaking the deadlock.

Eight minutes later Connection goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams had to make a superb save to keep out Nuru Abdullah Muhammed’s header in a play created by substitute late Ryan Stewart.

And in injury time wingback Kareem Joseph blasted a volley which was inches off after beating a fully stretched Williams as Connection kept their advantage alive.

Connection themselves had a decent injury time effort through Nickcolson Thomas which goalkeeper Graham blocked out as time trickled out with the Stuart Charles Fevrier coached side securing their place in the semifinals.

W Connection 1—0 Caledonia AIA
Hughtun Hector 70’

W Connection—Jan Michael Williams (Yellow), Elijah Joseph (capt), Eder Gilmar Arias (Yellow), Paula Roberto Santana (Francisco Neto 70th) (Yellow), Matthew Bartholomew (Shahdon Winchester 62nd), Nickcolson Thomas, Hughtun Hector, Andrei Pacheco, Vernus Abbott (Yellow), Keron Cummings (Zaine Pierre 90th), Christian Viveros

Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier

Caledonia AIA—Kevin Graham, Stephan David (capt), Nuru Abdullah Muhammad (Yellow), Jean-Luc Rochford, Abdallah Phillips, Kareem Joseph, Shawn Beveney (Ryan Stewart 76th), Walter Morre, Kerry Daniel (Kerry Federick 70th), Daneil Cyrus, Densill Theobald (Keyon Edwards 23rd)

Coach—Jerry Moe

Match Referee—Rashby McPhie