T&T Pro League debutants Ma Pau wasted a golden opportunity for another upset win after being held to a 0-0 draw by ten-man Defence Force on Thursday night.
In the first match, defending champions Clico San Juan Jabloteh maintained their four-point lead at the top of the standings over rivals W Connection with a 1-0 win over cellar-placed Tobago United.
National striker Cornell Glen, who was introduced in the second half, was the scorer for Jabloteh in the 60th minute.
The second match between Ma Pau and the Defence Force promised a lot from the first blow of referee Neil Brizan’s whistle.
Despite non-stop goal mouth action at both ends of the field, coaches Kerry Jamerson (Defence Force) and Ron La Forest (Ma Pau) were left venting their frustrations because of their players’ lack of potency.
From as early as the sixth minute, the league’s leading scorer, Devon Jorsling, had a chance to add to his 19 goals for Defence Force, but he mistimed his jump and only managed to lob a Kevon Carter right sided chip pass over the crossbar and goalkeeper Anthony Marshall.
Two minutes later at the other end, Ma Pau’s pint-sized teenager Sherron Joseph forced Kevin Graham into a stretched two-handed save for a corner to keep out his goalward blast from atop the 18-yard box.
Despite being on the back foot mainly due to Carter’s runs down the right flank, Ma Pau gradually came into its own with former Defence Force Super League player, Sayid Freitas creating havoc in its defence.
The second half was much of the same with missed chances on both ends.
Freitas was presented with a golden chance to put Ma Pau ahead in the 61st minute, but after being picked out by a Dos Santos squared ball, he saw his attempt brilliantly blocked out by a Graham reflex save from less than eight yards out.
Nine minutes later, Defence Force were reduced to ten men when defender Keston Williams was given marching orders by referee Brizan for an off the ball incident with Ma Pau’s Kino Proctor, who was introduced mere minutes before.
Today, bmobile Joe Public will have a chance to climb to fourth on the table when it hosts United Petrotrin at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, from 4 pm.
The league then takes a one-week break for T&T’s hosting of the Digicel Caribbean Championship Second Round Qualifiers at Macoya from Wednesday until Sunday involving St Kitts/Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana and hosts T&T.
Video courtesy ttproleague. Defence Force v Ma Pau