United Petrotrin left Macoya with a point yesterday but it should have been three as a late unsuccessful penalty kick by Husani Thomas meant that the "Oilmen" shared the spoils with bmobile Joe Public in yesterday's T&T Pro League affair.
Public face a draining close to their regular season as they try to belatedly capture a place in the top half of the Pro League table. It is a startlingly low ambition for Public, who won the domestic title two years ago, but then this season has been filled with highs and lows for the "Eastern Lions".
Public started well enough yesterday with goals from Kerry Baptiste and Roen Nelson in the 17th and 23rd minutes, respectively, but Petrotrin gave themselves a fighting chance with an item from teenager Akeem Parris in the 30th minute and the Southerners looked the more dangerous team after the resumption.
Public have been defensively brittle for much of the 2008 campaign and it proved their undoing again as Petrotrin drew level in the 66th minute through Kevon Woodley. Thomas' left side cross was headed down by Ian Bennett at the far post and an unmarked Woodley timed the bounce before executing a scissors kick to beat Public goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa at his near post.
It should have been worse, four minutes from time, as a rash tackle by Power on the adventurous Thomas gifted Petrotrin a penalty. With Keon Daniel absent, Thomas took it himself but Figueroa fended away the effort low to his right. The result did not do either team much favours as the race for a Lucozade Big Six place continues.
Video courtesy ttproleague. Utd Petrotrin v Joe Public