KERRY BAPTISTE scored a first-half double to lead second placed CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh to a 3-2 win over cellar-placed Tobago United in the penultimate round of matches in the T&T Professional Football League Senior Division on Tuesday night.
More importantly for the Jabloteh players, the win at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, narrowed VIBE CT 105 W Connection’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points ahead of their final round league meeting next Tuesday.
Needing to win to keeps its slim hopes of catching 2001 champions, W Connection, Jabloteh champion in 2002 and 2003, got a good start through Baptiste Baptiste with a 13th minute goal.
Coach Terry Fenwick must have felt his players were in for an easy night when Baptiste added a second four minutes later for a 2-0 advantage.
However, the Tobagonians, with only four points to their credit for the season, managed to get themselves back into the match through Noel Williams.
Williams, the top youth scorer in the league two seasons ago, fired past Jabloteh goalkeeper Daurance Williams in the 26th minute to give his team hope at the half.
But within three minutes of the re-start, Tobago found itself further behind when Kery Noray netted for the visitors.
Ashford Legerton reduced the deficit for Tobago in the 52nd minute, but that was as close as they came, which means they will end their involvement in the 2005 edition of the PFL in round 21, still looking for a first win.
Following the completion of round 21 (18 matches per club), the top six clubs will contest a Big Six competition to determine the league winner.
Down South at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, dethroned league champs, National Quarries North East Stars needed an injury time goal from Gary Glasgow to earn a 1-1 draw with United Petrotrin.
Kelvin Hernadez had given the Oilmen an 11th minute which looked as though it was good enough for the full three points, until Glasgow struck two minutes into time added on.
At the Hasely Crawford Stadium, joint third placed teams, Defence Force and Caledonia AIA/Fire played to a 0-0 draw.
However there was no shortage of goal-scoring chances for Bevon Lewis (Defence Force) and Titus Elva (AIA/Fire) who combined to miss at least six chances.
Shurland Davis also hit the croos-bar for AIA/Fire, who was robbed of the three points by some acrobatic goalkeeping from Cleon John.
PFL Senior Div. standings
Teams P W D L F A Pts
W Connection 17 15 1 1 57 11 46
Jabloteh 17 10 4 3 42 12 34
D/Force 17 7 6 4 30 27 27
AIA/Fire 18 8 3 7 21 23 27
North-East Stars 17 4 6 7 18 25 18
Utd Petrotrin 17 2 3 12 16 41 9
Tobago Utd 17 0 4 13 19 64 4
PFL Leading scorers
13 — Gefferson Goulart (W Connection).
12 — Earl Jean (W Connection).
11 — Ronaldo Viana (W Connection).
10 — Andre Toussaint (W Connection); Josh Johnson (Jabloteh).
8 — Kerry Noray (Jabloteh).
7 — Devon Jorsling, Kevon Carter (D/Force).
6 — Kerry Baptiste (Jabloteh); Ashford Legerton, Noel WIlliams (Tobago).
5 — Anton Wolfe (Stars); Titus Elva (AIA/Fire); Nigel Codrington (Jabloteh); Odelle Armstrong (D/Force).
3 — Aurtis Whitley (Jabloteh); Kennedy Hinkson, Kelvin Hernandez (Petrotrin); Devon Modeste, Abdullah Phillip (AIA/Fire); Kayode Mc Kinnon, Jerren Nixon (Stars).
2 — Handell Manswell, Nigel Pierre, Stokely Mason, Stephen David (AIA/Fire); Carrey Harris, Fabian Garcia (Stars); Atiba Charles, Dwight Scott, Kendall Davis (W Connection); Jerwyn Balthazar (D/Force); Dave Charles (Tobago); Jerol Forbes, Jamal Ayers (Petrotrin); Angus Eve (Jabloteh).
1 — Anthony Wolfe, Keryn Navarro (Stars); Dwayne Jack, Michael Bailey, Marlon Laidlow, Devon Edwards Ancil George, Deon Thomas, Darryl Charles (Tobago); Nigel Daniel, Trent Noel, Ansil Elcock, Devon Mitchell, Keyeno Thomas (Jabloteh); Brenton De Leon, Clyde Leon, William Olliviera, Randolph Jerome (W Connection); Willan Garcia, Brent Garcia, Larry Mc Donald, Jerol Forbes (Petrotrin); Alvis Faure-Diaz, Densil Theobald, Kevin Baptiste (AIA/Fire); Kwesi Smith, Anton Pierre, Anton Joseph, Ronald Boyce, Christopher Durity, Dexter Pacheco, Rawle Fletcher (D/Force).
Tuesday’s PFL Senior Division results
SAN JUAN JABLOTEH 3 (Kerry Baptiste 13th, 17th, Kerry Noray 48th) vs TOBAGO UTD 2 (Noel Williams 26th, Ashford Legerton 52nd).
D/FORCE 0 vs CALEDONIA AIA/FIRE 0.
UTD PETROTRIN 1 (Kelvin Hernandez 11th) vs NORT EAST STARS 1 (Gary Glasgow 90th).
Tuesday (November 1) PFL Senior Div. Fixtures.
San Juan Jabloteh vs W Connection @ Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 5pm.
Utd Petrotrin vs Defence Force @ Palo Seco Rec. Ground, 5pm.
Tobago Utd vs North East Stars @ Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, 5pm.