T&TEC FC increased the power on Friday night at the Ato Boldon Stadium registering comfortable 3-0 win over Defence Force in Round Three Match Day One of the Digicel Pro League Championship.
The one sided affair saw Sylvester Teesdale netting early for the ‘Electric Boys’ while second half strikes by Kerlon Ferguson and Kevon Neaves—from the penalty spot—crippled even the thought of a comeback by the soldiers.
The result saw T&TEC moved up a spot on the standings into third with 22 points, while the defending League champions Defence Force remain in fifth with 16 points.
Only one point separates leaders W Connection (24 points), second positioned Caledonia AIA (23 points) and T&TEC as the League Championship hits the final stretch.
T&TEC started the brighter of the two teams with Neaves blasting wide of the upright in the fourth minute when he was found by Ferguson back on top the area.
Ferguson himself was off-target in the 7th minute hitting high of the crossbar, however it signaled what was to follow by the Dexter Cyrus coached ‘Electric Boys’.
It was from a Neaves freekick on the right that Teesdale punished some lackluster defending by jumping to head past a hapless goalkeeper Kevin Graham in the 9th minute for a 1-0 advantage.
Graham was left exposed again in the 26th minute, however the Defence Force custodian superbly denied a powerful shot by Marcus Joseph by flinging his legs into the path of the low effort.
Ferguson then squandered an opportunity in front of goal in the 34th minute and four minutes later the Tobagonian went wide again after being picked out by a perfect Marcus Joseph cross after a neat buildup.
Joseph, probably the most prolific of the ‘Electric Boys’ on the night, was instrumental in another excellent opportunity, sending a splitting pass to find Neaves in a one on one situation with goalkeeper Graham. However Graham made another shut out before Dwight Scott cleared the loose ball to safety.
In the 55th minute, T&TEC doubled its advantage for a 2-0 cushion when Joseph picked out Teesdale with a diagonal ball on the right and the attacker worked his way inside the area and his shot on goal was parried by Graham; the rebound effort by Neaves crashed off the far upright but Ferguson was well poised to get enough contact on the second rebound to take it over the line.
It got worse for the soldiers by the 63rd minute when Graham pulled Joseph to the ground, if efforts to restrict the midfielder a goal-scoring opportunity from a set piece play.
Referee Neil Brizan was well placed and didn’t hesitate signaling a penalty kick which Neaves blasted past Graham for the 3-0 score.
T&TEC also had further attempts with substitutes Andre Toussaint hitting the post in the 75th and Jay-son Joseph denied by Graham in the 92nd minute.
While the only real effort by the soldiers was a half volley strike by midfielder Anton Joseph from distance which goalkeeper Marvin Phillip easily wrapped.
At the Larry Gomes Stadium, St. Ann’s Rangers got past Police FC 5-2 and DIRECTV North East Stars defeated Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh 2-0.
And in the second clash of the Ato Boldon Stadium double header W Connection registered a 2-1 win over Caledonia AIA thanks to a pair of goals by Jerrel Britto.
T&TEC FC 3—0 Defence Force
Sylvester Teesdale 9’, Kerlon Ferguson 55’, Kevon Neaves 64’(pen)
T&TEC FC—Marvin Phillip, Romauld Aguillera (capt.), Kern Peters, Jayson Joseph, Corneal Thomas, Brenton De Leon (Yellow Card), Sylvester Teesdale, Kerlon Ferguson (Andre Toussaint 65th), Kevon Neaves (Kerry Baptiste 70th), Marcus Joseph (Yellow Card) (Bevon Bass 78th), Eustace Darius
Coach—Dexter Cyrus
Defence Force—Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt.), Rodell Elcock (Dexter Pacheco 42nd), Albert Dexter Thornhill (Yellow Card) (Glynn Franklyn 31st minute) (Yellow Card), Devin Jordan, Michael Edwards (Josimar Belgrave 59th), Richard Roy, Jemel Sebro, Anton Joseph, Jerwyn Balthazar, Dwight Scott
Coach—Ross Russell