While there may be a burning rivalry between coaches Terry Fenwick and his former assistant Angus Eve, now at separate clubs of course, the real contest happens on the pitch.
Fenwick’s star-studded Central, yet to click, and Eve’s Sangre Grande-based Stars will meet on the battle field—Hasely Crawford Stadium—from 8 pm on Friday, and both teams are in desperate need of points, paving way for what can turn out a fierce clash.
Two hours earlier (6 pm), fifth positioned Caledonia AIA (17 points) are against cellar positioned St. Ann’s Rangers to kick off the Digicel Pro League Round Two Match Day Six double header. And on Saturday second positioned Point Fortin Civic (20 points), 12 points behind inactive leaders DIRECTV W Connection (32 points), will host eight-positioned San Juan Jabloteh (10 points) from 3.30 pm at the Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin.
Fenwick and Eve preferred to play down the magnitude of the rivalry, though.
“We are simply attacking this game as any other game,” said Fenwick, a three-time Pro League winning coach at former club Jabloteh.
Meanwhile Angus Eve, who served Fenwick as a player, then assistant coach during their time at Jabloteh, said, “I think all the Pro League games are intense. The intensity has grown this season and when you look at the point difference of most teams on the standings, it shows the level of competitiveness.”
North East Stars, fourth with 17 points, and Central, two spots lower with 15 points, have met twice already this season.
Central had defeated the Stars 2-1 last September in the quarterfinal round of the First Citizens Cup, before moving on to win the competition. But when both sides met again in Round One of the league in November, it ended 1-1.
This time around there are new faces on both sides.
North East Stars mid-season transfer window signings includes former T&T U-23 forward Trevin Caesar, talented midfielder Keron Cummings, Trinidad and Tobago 2007 U-17 World Cup midfielder Chike Sullivan and a relatively unknown forward Lemuel Lyons.
While Central were a bit more bold in their signings which includes T&T internationals Ataullah Guerra and Willis Plaza, ex-T&T international Yohance Marshall, Defence Force utility player Samuel Delice and former T&T Youth World Cup players Sean de Silva and Leston Paul.
“We have a very good squad of players,” said Fenwick. “And (Friday’s match) is just an opportunity for us to get on the right track.
“We have depth in the squad and I now have room to change players who aren’t doing what they are supposed to do, by putting other personalities in there.”
Central have gone undefeated in their last five matches, but have not recorded more than a draw in the last four matches.
“We are disappointed in the draws because we have dominated those games,” added the Central coach. “We’ve got to turn the domination into results.”
Central will be without the services of Guerra – one of three midfielders suspended on the weekend. Caledonia’s Densill Theobald and Point Fortin Civic’s Andrei Pacheco are the others.
Guerra and Theobald, both picked up red cards in their respective matches last Friday and are expected to face a disciplinary committee, while Pacheco is suspended on yellow cards accumulation.
North East Stars meanwhile, will be without the services in injury-listed defensive midfiedler Kern Navarro with a hamstring problem, while left-back Kevon Villaroel is still sidelined with a back injury.
“Central have made a lot of signings,” continued Eve, as he looks forward to Friday’s clash. “We also made some signings and I think it should be a good encounter.
“Since the turn of the year we have won two games, lost won, and drew one. It’s not a bad record. We had lapses in our last game, which we lost 2-0 against Connection, but hopefully we will be switched on completely (against Central).”
Fenwick believes that North East Stars “would be quite defensive and looking for the long balls to their centre forward Caesar”.
“I think (Caesar) is the most dangerous forward in the league,” Eve added. “The problem is that we have to re-program him now, because of the way he played at (his former club) Caledonia. If (Caesar) plays higher up the pitch he is effective but he tends to drop in midfield and stay too long. He needs to understand where his strengths are.”
Digicel Pro League 2013/2014 Round Two Match Day Six
Caledonia AIA vs St. Ann’s Rangers—6 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium
Central FC vs North East Stars—8 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium
Point Fortin Civic vs San Juan Jabloteh—3.30 pm, Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin