Caledonia edge Connection, Ma Pau held by Police

The fixture was part of Round One Match Day Ten action, which was scheduled for the weekend.

Connection remained in second spot on 17 points, well adrift of runaway leaders Defence Force, while Caledonia jumped to sixth.

The match was decided in the 26th minute when defender Ishmael Daniel (a tenth minute replacement for the injured Nuru Muhammad), picked out Akim Armstrong on the right with a wonderful cross-court ball.

Armstrong moved past the lazy challenge of left-back Joevin Jones and, with only goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams to beat, the midfielder calmly placed the ball to the right of the Trinidad and Tobago goalie.

Chances were hard to come by in a scrappy encounter, but Armstrong tested Williams with a long-range left-footer, shortly before the half-time interval.

Connection were denied a goal in the 58th, when referee Neal Brizan ruled that striker Teba McKnight impeded Caledonia’s Jamaican goalie Kevin Graham, while heading Jones’ corner to the back of the net.

Both teams felt aggrieved at a series of decisions by Brizan, but Caledonia held firm until the final whistle.

Earlier cellar-placed Police extend their unbeaten run to two matches, as they battled to a 2-2 draw with third-placed Ma Pau.

Kelon Williams put Police in front after 47 minutes before Ma Pau replied with a double, from striker Shane Calderon, in the 49th and 65th.National Under-20 midfielder Kevin Molino was sent off in the 81st and that indiscretion returned to haunt Ma Pau as Kenwin Matthews got the precious equaliser in stoppage time.

In related news, Caledonia re-signed forward Keon Edwards (who was on the bench on Friday night) to bolster their attacking options.

The 26-year-old was released by the club, along with namesake Keon Daniel, after the 2009 season, for indiscipline —particularly towards training sessions.

He was also suspended by the club during last year’s campaign for allegedly participating in a minor league competition. The former St Ann’s Rangers striker will be battling with Ryan Stewart, Hayden Vincent and Guyanese Shawn Beveney for the front-line positions at Caledonia.

While Edwards makes a return to the League fray, another striker is on the market as ex-national striker Jerol Forbes saw his contract terminated by San Juan Jabloteh.

The ex-Naparima College standout, who was also a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 team at the 2001 FIFA World Championships here in TT, joined Jabloteh from United Petrotrin in 2008.

The 25-year-old suffered a right knee injury in April 2009, against Inter Moengotapoe from Suriname in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships, at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.

That injury ended his season, as he required surgery for a bruised patella femoral ligament, as well as cartilage and meniscus damage.

“He has been unfit for the past 18 months,” said Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick. “And has not been giving his best in getting back to full fitness.”

“We sent him to Antigua (with club Pahram) where he can keep fit while earning an extra dollar. He had special therapy and medical treatment courtesy Jabloteh.

“Bottom line is that everyone is trying to help him, but himself. We recognised that he is a good forward and tried our best,” said Fenwick.

W Connection 0—1 Caledonia
Akim Armstrong 26'

W Connection—Jan Michael Williams, Elijah Joseph (capt), Clyde Leon, Hughtun Hector, Joevin Jones, Shahdon Winchester (Matthew Bartholomew 46th), Romauld Agulierra, Eder Gilmar Arias, Andrei Pacheco (Keron Cummings 60th), Nickcolson Thomas, Teba McKnight (Paulo Roberto Santana 68th).

Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier.

Caledonia AIA—Kevin Graham, Stephan David (capt), Walter Moore (Yellow), Densill Theobald, Akim Armstrong (Kerry Daniel 78th), Kareem Joseph, Jean-Luc Rochford (Abdallah Phillips 82nd), Daneil Cyrus, Sherron Joseph, Nuru Abdullah Muhammad (Ishmael Daniel 11th), Ryan Stewart.

Coach—Jamaal Shabazz.

Ma Pau held by Police FC.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).

Late Police FC substitute Kenwin Matthews ran onto the pitch to knock in the equalizing item for a 2-2 draw against Ma Pau SC in the final minute of regulation time.

Matthews was the recipient of a Todd Ryan freekick beating goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa from inside the six yard area after replacing hard-working Ricardo Peltier who was replaced injured after winning the equalizing set-piece.

Police welcomed their one point from the Round One Match Day Ten clash at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium as a positive result coming off a 3-1 win over FC SouthEnd in their previous outing.

Both teams failed to make movement on the 2010 Digicel Pro League standings following the result with Ma Pau maintaining third with 16 points—one point behind second positioned W Connection and eight points behind leaders Defence Force(24 points). Meantime Police remains agonizingly eleventh with five points.

Police opened the scoring after a goalless first half, stunning Ma Pau two minutes into the second period when Kelon Williams headed past Alejandro Figueroa from Ricardo Peltier's right side cross for a 1-0 advantage.

However Police relinquished that advantage in the 54th minute when Ma Pau equalized through Shane Calderon beating goalkeeper Emmanuel Nurse with a low shot after receiving a quick pass from Lyndon Andrews to leave the defence asleep for the 1-1 score.

Andrews was again brilliant with his quick passing to find Anthony Wolfe making a brilliant run behind the Police defence but after a superb chest down the utility player volleyed just inches high.

Calderon then doubled his tally in the 69th minute sending Ma Pau ahead when he was the recipient of a poor clearance for an easy tap-in past goalkeeper Nurse for a 2-1 advantage.

But ten minutes from time, Ma Pau midfielder Kevin Molino was shown a direct red card by referee Rashby McPhie for striking Keston Pierre during one of his runs reducing the Woodbrook side to ten-men.

Police the failed to level the scores late in the match with Todd Ryan hitting high with just the goalkeeper to beat, before the Kenwin Matthews’ equalizer in the final minute.

Police FC 2—2 Ma Pau SC
Kelon Williams 47', Kenwin Matthews 90' ; Shane Calderon 54', 69'

Police—Emmanuel Nurse, Todd Ryan (capt), Atiba Peters, Kyle Andrews, Jason James, Kelon Williams (Yellow), Kaaron Foster, Andre Lynch (Keston Pierre 57th) (Yellow), Ricardo Peltier (Kenwin Matthews 89th), Adrian Noel (Sterling Arjoon 90th), Devon Lamy.

Coach—Anthony Marshall.

Ma Pau SC—Alejandro Figueroa, Lyndon Andrews (capt), Rennie Britto (Shaqille Nesbit 44th), Lester Peltier (Trevin Caesar 87th), Kerry Noray, Keyeno Thomas, Corneal Thomas, Seon Power (Yellow), Anthony Wolfe (Dwane James 65th), Shane Calderon, Kevin Molino.

Coach—Michael McComie.