With contrasting results, a narrow win for Club Sando and a one-sided victory for Guaya United, gave both the top two teams in the league standings a spot in Sunday’s final of the blink/bmobile National Super League knockout competition.
Two days ago, in the first fixture of a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, a brace from Ryan Fredericks, which included the match opener and the game winner gave Club Sando, the current NSL league leader, a meagre 2–1 victory over the bottom-of-the-table FC Santa Rosa.
Fredericks hit first in the 11th minute, only for his effort to be cancelled out by a Jason Hope goal in the 40th minute for the high-riding FC Santa Rosa team. On the hour mark, Fredericks scored his second, which was enough for Club Sando to squeeze a victory.
Santa Rosa, which advanced to the semifinal stage following two consecutive wins via kicks from the penalty mark in the preliminary and quarterfinal stage, has only won one match outright this season.
The night’s second double-header fixture saw Guaya United, a newly-promoted team of the Eastern Countries Football Association and current league runner-up, slap a struggling Westside Superstarz 5–0. Five different players, Sherlon Campbell, Ryan Stewart, Carlon Hughes, Desta Francis and Earlon Thomas, respectively, earned Guaya the win.
One other match was played yesterday, with two teams seeking a spot in the T&T Football Association FA Cup competition. Defence Force met Real Maracas with the match finishing in a 2–2 draw before the Teteron Boys took the win with a 4–1 advantage from the penalty marks.
Malabar FC and Joe Public, two teams also seeking a spot in the FA Cup, had their match rescheduled to Sunday, at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Joe Public’s home venue. The match will kick off at 6 pm. An hour prior, the NSL Knockout Competition final will kick off at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
The winning team will earn $75,000, while the runner-up will take $35,000.
RESULTS
Semifinals
Club Sando 2 (Ryan Fredericks 11th, 60th) vs FC Santa Rosa 1 (Jason Hope 40th)
Guaya United 5 (Sherlon Campbell 2nd, Ryan Stewart 29th, Carlon Hughes 83rd, Desta Francis 85th, Earlon Thomas 90th) vs Westside Superstarz 0
FA Play-offs
Defence Force 2 (Ronald St Louis 13rd, Jamal Goodridge 68th) vs Real Maracas 2 (Dillon Bartholomew 30th, 35th)
- Defence Force won 4–1 via kicks from the penalty spot
Malabar FC vs Joe Public - Rescheduled to October 20
FIXTURES
Sunday Knockout final
Club Sando vs Guaya United, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, 5 pm
FA Play-off
Joe Public vs Malabar Fc, Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, 6 pm
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