T&TEC FC moved within a point of lifting the 2011-12 Digicel Pro League Championship this week by smashing a 6-1 comeback win over Police FC on Tuesday night at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in a rescheduled Round One Match Day Two fixture.
The Pro League debutants jumped to the top of the standings with 39 points, two points ahead of W Connection (37 points), with just one match day to remaining on Thursday and possess an untouchable goal difference of 18.
The T&TEC result also bumped third positioned Caledonia AIA (35 points) out of the race for the title, while the battle remains between the ‘Electric Boys’ and Connection.
Connection faces the wounded Police from 8pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium following DIRECTV North East Stars meet against St. Ann’s Rangers from 6pm at the Couva venue in the final League match-day on Thursday.
And at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium Defence Force takes on Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh from 6pm followed by the highly anticipated Caledonia, T&TEC clash from 8pm.
Caledonia will definitely be hunting maximum points with the hopes of a runner-up finish, just as last season, while the Dexter Cyrus coached T&TEC will believe his side is well polished for a big finish coming off Tuesday’s contrasting victory over the ‘Lawmen’.
Police FC opened the scoring in just the 3rd minute when Dexter Alleyne latched onto a throughball behind the T&TEC defence and slipped a shot past goalkeeper Marvin Phillip for a 1-0 advantage to shock the ‘Electric Boys’.
However T&TEC turned up the power and Guyanese international Vurlon Mills registered his first of a hattrick in the 13th minute beating goalkeeper Adisa Alleyene from inside the area to level the scores 1-1.
Referee Michael London then awarded T&TEC a questionable penalty in the 27th minute when Brenton De Leon headed a crossball back onto the arm of Police wingback Errol Charles.
After a bit of delay with London having to settle a few agitated players, midfielder Kevon Neaves converted past Alleyene for a 2-1 T&TEC advantage.
And in the 45th minute, Jamal Ayres smashed in T&TEC’s third item from the left against a hapless Alleyne for a 3-1 score at the break.
Police tried to get back into the game in the second period with midfielder Kareem Young flashing an effort over in the 49th minute and moments later Noel Williams unleashed a good effort wide of the upright from outside the area.
On the hour mark from a good buildup by police, T&TEC goalie Phillip kept out an excellent effort by the ‘Lawmen’.
T&TEC reminded Police which team was in charge by adding a fourth in the 62nd minute, with Mills getting his second, and a fifth in the 70th minute from substitute Bevon Bass.
Mills then tried an audacious chip against Alleyne in the 90th minute in a one on one situation which the Police goalie came out on top.
But Mills finally got to his hattrick in the third and final minute of added on time from the penalty spot after Alleyne upended Bass inside the area denying the midfielder a goal scoring opportunity.
Digicel Pro League Championship Tuesday’s result
Round One Match Day Two rescheduled match
Police FC 1-6 T&TEC FC
Dexter Alleyne 3' ; Vurlon Mills 13', 62', 90' (pen), Kevon Neaves 31' (pen), Jamal Ayres 45', Bevon Bass 70'
Teams
Police FC—Adisa Alleyne, Todd Ryan (capt), Kheon Archie, Jevon Morris, Weslie John, Dexter Alleyne (Anton Hutchinson 51st), Errol Mc Farlane (Akeem Marshall 71st), Kareem Young (Vernell Ramirez 73rd), Errol Charles, Noel Williams, Trent Noel
Coach—Kelvin Jones
T&TEC FC—Marvin Phillip, Romauld Aguillera (capt), Corneal Thomas, Vurlon Mills, Brenton De Leon, Sylvester Teesdale (Simeon Augustus 46th), Kern Peters, Jamal Ayres (Bevon Bass 61st), Kevon Neaves (Andrei Pacheco 65th), Akeem Adams, Aubrey David
Coach—Dexter Cyrus
Upcoming fixtures
Thursday 29 March 2012
Round Three Match Day Seven
Ato Boldon Stadium
North East Stars vs St. Ann’s Rangers—6pm
W Connection vs Police FC—8pm
Mannie Ramjohn StadiumDefence Force vs San Juan Jabloteh—6pm
Caledonia AIA vs T&TEC FC—8pm