Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA received a fright on Monday night but, in the end, had too much firepower for their Super League opponents, WASA FC, as they emerged 4-3 winners in a thrilling Toyota Classic Cup preliminary round encounter at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
Today, the "Eastern Stallions" tackle bmobile Joe Public's Eastern Football Association (EFA) team in the TTFF's FA Trophy competition from 7 p.m. at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
Faced with another frenetic close of season schedule, the last thing a T&T Pro League team needs now is a motivated and aggressive lower division squad eyeing a major scalp. But Caledonia got that and more on Monday.
Of course, WASA's footballers possess much more than grit in their lockers.
Two years ago, the St Joseph-based outfit produced one of the biggest shocks of the FA Trophy competition as they beat Pro League outfit, Economy North East Stars, on penalty kicks to lift the prestigious prize.
In retrospect, Caledonia might be fortunate that the "Water Boys" were without a handful of their more talented employees on Monday as Billy Dee Scantlebury, Fabian Garcia, Michael-Lee Celestine and Ochieng Abosi were all injured while Darin Lewis was missing.
The Pro League outfit started well enough as Akim Armstrong put them ahead with a clinical finish from the edge of the area in the fifth minute, while striker Conrod Smith conjured up two splendid goals-a clever finish.
Under-20s give Rangers a run.
T&T Express Reports.
All six bmobile National Super League teams were beaten out of the Toyota Classic Cup at the preliminary stage on Monday, leaving eight T&T Pro League clubs to contest Friday's quarter-finals.
But, the Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 team, Economy Strikers and Joe Public Super League teams all gave their rivals a run for their money.
Joe Public, who finished second in the National Super League, held North East Stars to a goalless draw, before the third-placed team in the 2008 T&T Pro League prevailed 4-2 in a penalty shootout. And the National Under-20s, who won both the 2008 league and knockout titles in the Super League, put up a fight before going down 3-2 to St Ann's Rangers.
Economy Strikers also stretched Pro League runners-up W Connection, before losing 4-3.
The Super League Big Four qualifiers from Sangre Grande led at the half before W Connection rallied with three second half goals.
Toyota Classic Cup action continues on Friday with quarter-final double-headers at both the Larry Gomes and Manny Ramjohn stadiums.
FRIDAY'S QUARTER-FINAL MATCHES:
6p.m.-Caledonia AIA v United Petrotrin, Manny Ramjohn Stadium
8 p.m.-W Connection v North East Stars, Manny Ramjohn Stadium
5 p.m.-San Juan Jabloteh v Tobago United, Larry Gomes Stadium
7 p.m.-Joe Public v St. Ann's Rangers, Larry Gomes Stadium