ALVIN XAVIER and Kyle Cupid were both on target for Plipdeco Caroni as they beat M&M Harvard 2-1 in the Sportworld National Super Football League at Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday night.
The score line could have been much bigger for Caroni had it not been for the heroics of Harvard goalkeeper, Rayshawn Mars.
From early on, Mars, a former national youth team standout, was called into action to deny Cupid.
But in the 24th minute, he could do little to deny Xavier from scoring with a close-range effort, after the Harvard’s defence failed to clear a left-sided centre.
Within two minutes, team-captain Dean Pacheco tied up the scores when his 35-yard right sided free-kick found its way into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
Three minutes before the half Cupid capitalised on some loose marking to fire between Mars’ legs for the go-ahead goal.
Six minutes into the second-half, Caroni almost extended the lead, however Bevon Knights’ powerful header slammed off the cross-bar and back into play.
Cupid and Xavier also had break-away chances to put the match out of Harvard’s reach, but on each occasion Mars was equal to the task diving brilliantly to his right and then to his left to pull off stunning one handed saves.
At the other end of the field Harvard’s hardly mounted any serious attack, and handed Caroni a well-deserved win.
Over in Tobago, Rotiv Couva Players won 3-0 over host Angostura 1976 Phoenix at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet.
Phoenix was in search of a third straight win to stay as joint leaders with Superstar Rangers, but instead conceded a ninth minute goal from Anthony Thompson to set back its ambitions.
Keith Williams netted Couva’s second item in the 23rd minute while Quami Knights fired in a third in the 35th minute. Phoenix went on the offensive in the second-half, but was turned back by a stingy Couva line-up.
Rangers who got four goals from Akudu Goodridge in a 6-2 bashing of Stokely Vale lead the table with maximum nine points after three matches, two ahead of Caroni and Police.
Round four matches are scheduled for Sunday.
11