Caledonia AIA attacking right wingback Kareem Joseph has a knack for scoring special goals, and on Friday night in the second clash of a Digicel Pro League Round Two Match Day Five Super Friday double header, he netted a valuable item in injury time to break a deadlock against St. Ann’s Rangers for a 1-0 win.
The victory puts Caledonia up a spot into second position on the ladder with 18 points, just as current leaders Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh (18 points), but behind on goals difference.
Jabloteh will visit third positioned T&TEC FC (15 points) from 5pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday and simultaneously at the Larry Gomes Stadium, fourth positioned W Connection (15 points) will visit sixth positioned DIRECTV North East Stars(8 points).
Meantime Rangers remain in fifth with nine points, and could drop lower if Stars were to register a win or draw against visiting Connection.
In the earlier match on Friday night, seventh positioned Police FC saw full points slip away against defending champions and eight positioned Defence Force when a 95th minute item was scored by the soldiers’ late substitute Ross Russell Jr. to level the scores 1-1 with a disputed seven minutes of injury time allowed by referee Larry Lalchan.
Police FC striker and captain Jason Boodram scored in the 61st minute to give the lawmen the opening item as Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs looked on from the stands, however in the end walked away with just one point taking its tally too five points and Defence Force at the bottom with four.
Rangers may have also thought that faith was against them against Caledonia after an excellent showing especially in the first period with Kerron Alexander hitting the crossbar in the 19th minute from inside the area after a miscued effort by Hector Sam.
And the teenaged winger had another go at goal in the 26th minute, however the effort was directed at Caledonia’s Jamaican goalkeeper Kevin Graham who made a comfortable wrap.
But Caledonia had the majority of opportunities to go ahead in the first period with midfielder Ataulla Guerra overhead effort off Micah Lewis cross flew wide of the far post in the 36th minute.
And in the 44th minute, Devorn Jorsling directed another Lewis cross overbar from inside the six yard area after a decent build-up by the Morvant/Laventille club.
Striker Jamal Gay also into on the stats in additional time of the first period hitting a powerful on-target strike from distance but was unable to beat Rangers’ Jamaican goalie Shane Mattis.
Caledonia AIA 1—0 St. Ann’s Rangers
Kareem Joseph 90’+
Caledonia AIA—Kevin Graham, Stephan David (capt.), Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, Aquil Selby, Micah Lewis, Abdallah Phillips, Kareem Joseph, Walter Moore, Jamal Gay, Devorn Jorsling, Ataullah Guerra
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz
St. Ann’s Rangers—Shane Mattis, Mikhail Awai (capt.), Kareem Moses, Larry Bacchus, Hector Sam, Elijah Belgrave, Kaashif Thomas, Cameron Roget, Keron Alexander, Shaquille Nesbit, Akil Clarke
Coach—Anthony Streete