It was like an old western movie, where goals were being fired left, right and center, as Caledonia AIA outscored St. Clair coaching school 9-4 in a FA quarter final match up at the Dwight Yorke stadium, Bacelot, Tobago to see the Men from Morvant progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
The spectators could not ask for a more open game of football. Classical passing, good play construction, fine exhibiting of ball skills and deadly finishing, were all part of the highly entertaining game.
Both teams were missing their ace coaches. Former national coach Bertille St. Clair is out of the country. While Caledonia’s Coach Jamaal Shabazz is still with the high flying Guyana National team, who recently qualified for the final round of the Digicel Caribbean Cup.
It was St. Clair Coaching School that began to take the game to Caledonia and should have scored in the second minute of the game but the home team missed a sitter.
However, former Signal Hill Comprehensive School striker Kino Proctor made up for the lapse in the 4th minute with a well taken goal from the inside left position—the Tobago based team taking a surprise 1-0 win.
Caledonia gradually composed themselves with Soca Warrior Densil Theobald orchestrating plays from the midfield, and Abdullah Phillips equalized in the 14th minute, but Proctor had other ideas and again struck the net for Coaching School in the 23rd minute- 2-1 St Clair Coaching School.
However, the intensity and quality of the Pro League Team began to show its class and Conrad Smith in the 27th minute equalized for Caledonia.
Kendall Jagdeosingh then began to weave his magic; he dribbled two Coaching School defenders to score a brilliant goal in the 39th minute to give Caledonia a 3-2 lead.
Then it was the turn of Quincy Charles to get his taste of the action as he stepped up and converted a 45th minute penalty. Half Time it was 4-2 Caledonia AIA.
Jagdeosingh wasted no time on the resumption, he neatly tucked away his second goal in the 51st minute and the lads from Morvant were taking the game away from the Tobago Team.
Former Queen Royal College and Defence Force striker Conrad Smith got his second goal in the 60th minute, while the rampant Jagdeosingh completed his hattrick in the 64th minute of the entertaining game.
The Coaching School Team which celebrated their 30th anniversary last Sunday night refused to lie down and got late goals from Vernon Wilson in the 70th minute and Keon Price in the 81st minute.
Caledonia AIA proved they were a cut above the rest by turning on the screws on the Tobago League Team with goals in the 71st and 79th minutes of the game from Abdullah Phillips and Densil Theobald respectively.
After the game Caledonia midfielder and national player Densil Theobald said he “was now getting back to full fitness after a knee injury and at the moment winning trophies with Caledonia is where his focus is at.”
AIA Caledonia:
Johnny Cardona, Sterling Arjoon, Julio Delarosa, Conrad Smith, Kareem Joseph, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Stephan David, Denzil Theobald, Quincy Charles, Sheldon Emmanuel (captain)
Coach/Trainer- Jerry Moe
Subs- Abdullah Phillips, Jason Cudjoe, Devon Modeste, Hayden Tinto, Tony Thompson, Nigel Pierre.
St. Clair Coaching School:
Kyle Joseph, Malcolm Roberts, Vernon Wilson, Delayn Taylor, Hugo Blake, Tyrone Walters, Dominic Adams, Kino Proctor, Jeron Balfour, Ronnie Alfred, Trevain Caesar
Coach- Uton Samuel
Subs- Diego Nicholson, Nicholos Roberts, Donel Grant, Cliford Kerr, Keon Price