Defending Digicel Pro League champion, bmobile Joe Public, coming off a 1-1 draw with Ma Pau last Friday in the opening round of the competition, is looking forward to its first three points this coming weekend against rivals San Juan Jabloteh.
Joe Public will meet Jabloteh in the feature match of a double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, from 8 pm.
Two hours earlier, Ma Pau and St Ann’s Rangers face off. “We will see an improved performance by our team against Jabloteh,” said Eastern Lions’ coach Derek King, who led his team to a historic five titles last season in his first year at the helm.
“Personally, the result was disappointing,” said King. “We scored early and then gave away a soft goal. We also had a couple late chances that we didn’t put away. But, we saw some good football seeing that it was our first league match.”
King also credited Ma Pau’s performance adding, “Our guys were eager for this clash for two reasons—it was our first League match of the season and it was against Ma Pau. Credit to Mau Pau who played us a really good game.
“We are very confident at the moment despite not taking away full points against Ma Pau,” King added. “We can’t afford to drop points again if we want to defend our title.”
King is hopeful that defender Keion Goodridge will recover from a sprained arm picked up during the CFU Club Championship second round, and that he would be available for the Jabloteh clash. American midfielder Daniel Bulls could also make the 18-man squad for Friday’s match according to King.
Stuart Charles-Fevrier delighted with start
St Lucian coach Stuart Charles-Feverier said he was delighted with his W Connection team 1-0 win over bitter rival, San Juan Jabloteh to kick start its 2010/2011 Digicel T&T Pro League campaign on Friday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Speaking after the win, Charles-Fevrier, who has guided the “Savonnetta Boys” to three league titles, said. “It’s a very good start for us considering we had lost our opening matches in the last two seasons. It surely a good sign and hopefully we can continue that momentum against Defence Force on Saturday.
“It’s never an easy match against Defence Force and we are definitely expecting a tough challenge, moreso as they have also won their first match.
In the previous seasons, W Connection featured a host of Brazilian players but that system has now change drastically with a number of young players now coming through the ranks of the club in Shahdon Winchester, Hughtun Hector, Joevin Jones and Keron “Ball Pest” Cummings.
Asked to comment on the sudden change, Charles-Fevrier boasted,“We are now ten years-old as a club and when we started all the top local players were already attached to the other top clubs in the country so for us to compete we needed to bring in players from outside.
“We have a very good youth programme and very good youth coaches and the youngsters in the senior team are all fruits of that programme.
McComie pleased with Ma Pau performance
Michael McComie, second coach of Ma Pau, said his team’s showing in its 1-1 draw with reigning Digicel Pro League champion, bmobile Joe Public was very interesting.
“We matched Joe Public stride for stride and surprised the opposition with our physical level of play for the full 90-minutes.
“I think Joe Public was surprised that a young team like Ma Pau could match them for most of the encounter. We competed with them and that was positive and we’ll build on those positive areas,” he explained. “It was a team effort but credit must be given to defenders Keyeno Thomas, Seon Power and Cyd Gray.”
McComie also felt that his team’s 4-4-2 system presented many challenges for Joe Public. He pointed out that Joe Public Public wingers were always under challenge and check. “Ma Pau will focus on a strong pattern of play and ball possession rather than systems.
We must be able to adopt to any style of play from our opponents in this league and react positively,” said McComie. He commended Anthony Wolfe, a member of the T&T 2006 World Cup team, who stayed focus when he was challenged by Joe Public’s goalkeeper Marvin Phillip to score and cancel out Kerry Baptiste’s 13th minute strike for Joe Public.
Marshall: Police going back to drawing board
Anthony Marshall, player/coach of Police, said his technical staff and players would be going back to the drawing board in order to rectify some of their problems that were exposed in their 3-0 loss to Defence Force on Saturday.
“The result was not what we had hoped for to start the season and now we have to go back to the drawing board and do some more work ahead of our next match.
“The match also allowed me the opportunity to understand some of the qualities that the younger players have and at the same time what they lack and we are expected to make some reshuffling among our set-up to bring out the best in the team.
Marshall, the team’s former first choice goalkeeper was also looking forward to the return of main striker Kerwin Matthews, who missed the season opener due to injury.
Round Two
Friday
Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Ma Pau vs Rangers, 6 pm.
Jabloteh vs Joe Public, 8 pm.
Saturday
Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar
Defence Force vs W Connection, Malabar, 4 pm.
Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella
South End vs Tobago United, 5 pm
NE Stars vs Police, 7 pm.