The much anticipated friendly between, a Pro League club, hosts Central FC and England's Walsall FC on Tuesday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo ended in a 1-1 tie.
Central, which finished fifth last season and is coached by three-time Pro League winning coach Englishman Terry Fenwick, halted Walsall’s Trinidad and Tobago tour winning streak.
Walsall first defeated Stokely Vale 3-1 at the Plymouth Recreation Ground in Tobago last Friday, and on Sunday with a help of Phoenix player Jem Gordon who scored a double and set up the winner, had to come from behind to defeat a Pro League XI 3-2.
On Tuesday Central went ahead 1-0 in the 22nd minute through a neat finish by Keon Trim from close range to beat Walsall goalie Richard O'Donnell after he was picked out by Darryl Trim who on the right dribbled off three ‘Saddlers’.
The finish was a lot better than K. Trim's clear cut opportunity in the 2nd minute of play on a one-on-one situation with O'Donnell which he knocked directly at the Walsall goalie.
In the 43rd minute Rundell Winchester executed a curling effort towards goal and O'Donnell was equal to the strike, fisting it out as far as goalscorer K. Trim. But ‘The Saddlers’ goalie recovered well to tip behind the rebound effort by K. Trim.
Two minutes earlier Walsall’s Ben George rocked the Central crossbar with an effort from just inside the area.
And it was in the 47th minute from a curling strike from above the area that substitute Danny Griffiths leveled the scores 1-1 beating Central’s defense and U21 goalie Javon Sample who showed a lot of promise between the uprights.
Walsall substitutes Jake Heath and Ashley Hemmings teamed-up well in the 56th minute with the later missing the far upright by a foot. And in injury time Central needed a last ditch header by substitute Dean Faithful to clear Griffiths’ strike away from the goal mouth.
Central’s best opening of the second half was in the 78th minute when substitute Julio Noel dribbled free of three Walsall players before squaring a pass to Darren Mitchell, but the talented Tobagonian hammered his effort too high from above the area.
Walsall manager Dean Smith admitted that Trinidad and Tobago is a good pre-season destination for clubs such as ‘The Saddlers’ which finished last season in England’s League One with just two defeats.
For us it’s about fitness and getting ready for the start of our season,” he said about the Trinidad and Tobago tour. “We certainly made a lot of new friends and had a lot of tough challenges, so it has been really good for us.”
Smith also used the opportunity to have a look at some of the T&T players on display and held coaching clinics in Tobago and central and north Trinidad during the club’s week-long visit.
Central FC 1 - 1 Walsall FC
Keon Trim 22' ; Danny Griffiths 47'
Teams
Central FC - 1.Javon Sample, 22.Keion Goodridge (37.Afiba Spouse), 10.Marvin Oliver (20.Dwight Pope), 16.Carey Harris, 14.Darryl Trim (9.Johan Peltier), 7.Jason Marcano (18.Kevin Goddard), 11.Rundell Winchester (Kaydion Gabriel), 12.Jamal Jack, 29.Keon Trim (5.Julio Noel), 4.Omar Charles (23.Dean Faithful), 19.Darren Mitchell (28.Robert Als).
Unused substitutes - 55. Zane Coker, 13.Nicholas Dillon, 23.Hector Sam, 8.Shem Alexander, 21.Franz Husbands.
Coach - Terry Fenwick.
Walsall FC - 1.Richard O'Donnell, 3.Paul Downing, 21.Kieron Morris, 12.Malvind Benning, 4.Andy Butler, 10. Omari-Sterlin James, 9.Troy Hewitt, 7.Jem Gordon, 8.Sam Mantom, 17.Reece Flanagan, 24.Ben George.
Used substitutes - 23.Liam Roberts (gk), 2.Ben Purkiss, 5.Dean Holden, 14.Danny Griffiths, 15.James Chambers, 6.Nicky Featherstone, 11.Ashley Hemmings, 16.James Baxendale, 19. Jake Heath.
Team Manager - Dean Smith.