San Juan Jabloteh have warmed up for Saturday’s highly anticipated home game against Defence Force with their fourth consecutive win in the Digicel Pro League, by brushing aside Morvant Caledonia United 3-0 in a rescheduled game at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Wednesday.
Jabloteh, with 35 points in fourth, will attempt to extend their winning ways when they host second-positioned Defence Force (39 points) on Saturday from 6:30pm at the Barataria Recreation Ground, while eight-positioned Caledonia returns to action on Friday against six-positioned Police FC from 6pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
Police were also in action on Wednesday, holding third-positioned W Connection (37 points) to a 0-0 draw in the first game of a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
Connection will aim for full points on Friday when they host Point Fortin Civic from 8pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium following back-to-back draws.
In the earlier Couva game on Wednesday, forward Kerry Baptiste took his goal tally to six goals, netting in three consecutive games, since returning to North East Stars in the transfer window.
However it was a late Anthony Guppy item that separated North East Stars from the cellar-positioned St. Ann’s Rangers for a 4-3 win.
Rangers had kept themselves in the game with three equalising goals through Kevon Piper (39th minute), Jeromie Williams (63rd minute) and Kadeem Hutchinson (80th minute) until nine minutes from time Guppy, another transfer window signing, grabbed the North East Stars’ winner.
Baptiste netted on either side of the break, twice putting the Sangre Grande club in front with goals in the 33rd and 57th minutes, before midfielder Ryan Stewart also scored a go-ahead goal in the 71st-minute.
In Malabar, Fabian Reid fired Jabloteh ahead thirteen minutes into the second period with a composed finish into the left corner of goalkeeper Marvin Phillip’s netting.
Jabloteh could have gone ahead before the break but Tyrone Charles missed the target with Phillip at his mercy after holding off two challenges when he was played into the area by former Caledonia forward Jamal Gay on 20 minutes.
Ten minutes earlier Phillip matched a 30-yard free-kick by Charles, pushing the midfielder’s powerful attempt overbar.
But Charles redeemed himself by making light work of Caledonia right-back Antonio Joseph before finding Gay, who from the edge of the six-yard area, teed up Jamaican midfielder Reid (F) for opening item.
Moments later Reid (F) missed an excellent opportunity to put Jabloteh two in front when he struck overbar after another former Caledonia player Nathan Lewis had shredded left-back Ordell Flemming before proving a dangerous cross.
Jabloteh finally got the 2-0 cushion on 71 minutes when Gay headed a left side corner-kick by Charles into the far bottom corner of Phillip’s netting for his eight league goal this season.
Phillip was hung out to dry again by his defence in the 81st-minute and Lewis fired in Jabloteh’s final goal for the 3-0 score.
It was from a defence-splitting pass by another former Caledonia player Noel Williams, who entered the game after the break, that Lewis was able to attack the box before blasting past Phillip.
Results
Morvant Caledonia United 0 vs San Juan Jabloteh 3 (Fabian Reid 58’, Jamal Gay 71’, Nathan Lewis 81), at Larry Gomes Stadium;
W Connection 0 vs Police FC 0, at Ato Boldon Stadium;
St. Ann’s Rangers 3 (Kevon Piper 39’, Jeromie Williams 63’, Kadeem Hutchinson 80’) vs North East Stars 4 (Kerry Baptiste 33’, 57’, Ryan Stewart 71’, Anthony Guppy 82’), at Ato Boldon Stadium.
Teams
Morvant Caledonia United: 1.Marvin Phillip; 3.Ranaldo Bailey, 4.Ordell Flemming, 5.Maestro Mensah, 12.Kareem Joseph (Capt.), 16.Antonio Joseph (20.Jamaal Harvey 62nd minute), 17.Akim Armstrong, 18.Leslie Russell, 22.Jameel Neptune (8.Anthony Charles 87th minute), 28.Pernell Schultz, 29.Kareem Knights (2.Robert Primus 66th minute)
Unused substitutes: 11.Abdallah Phillips, 15.Otev Lawrence, 34.Stephon Seepersad
Coach: Jerry Moe
San Juan Jabloteh: 35.Andrew Durant; 4.Garth Thomas, 6.Akeem Benjamin (2.Noel Williams 46th minute), 7.Jamal Gay (9.Brent Sam 85th minute), 10.Tyrone Charles, 11.Damian Williams (Capt.), 13.Fabien Reid, 21.Aquil Selby, 24.Adrian Reid, 27.Nathan Lewis (20.Aaquil Campbell 85th minute), 26.Marvin Oliver
Unused substitutes: 8.Keyon Edwards, 15.Jerome Mc Intyre, 23.Kennedy Hinkson, 30.Shemel Louison (GK)
Coach: Keith Jeffrey
Referee: Marlon Perouse