WASA seemed to have put together a winning combo this season, with former Trinidad and Tobago national players Stern John and Gary Glasgow playing in midfield, and another outstanding former national defender Marvin “Marvellous” Faustin running the show as head coach.
WASA also had the experience of former San Juan Jabloteh striker Kerry Noray and ex-Joe Public and Caledonia AIA goalkeeper Michael Woods to draw upon on the bench.
Champions two season’s ago, the “Water Boys” moved second in the National Super League with a third victory in four matches, following their 1-0 win over previous joint-leaders Club Sando late Sunday at St Joseph. Second last year, Club Sando lost for the first time this season. Also playing under lights, Petrotrin Palo Seco kept the competition’s lead by a point from WASA, after whipping weaker opposition and home team Real Maracas 4-1 a little further up the hill.
Given the recent deaths of local footballers Akeem Adams, Kevon Carter and most recently 20-year-old Club Sando player Marcus Lawrence to heart conditions, the only questionable decision Faustin made on Sunday, was allowing his team captain and capable central defender Akil Hartley to return to the field, after going down clutching his chest in pain about 10 minutes from the end. From all accounts, it is a recurring condition. Hartley returned to the action and again collapsed clutching his chest after the final whistle.
WASA led just five minutes into the action, with the lone goal coming from the boot of Keron Clarke, last season’s top scorer in the East Zone, and the player acquired from Super League newcomers NLCB La Horquetta SC. Clarke beat former Joe Public and North East Stars keeper Andre Marchan with a low shot to the far post, for his fifth goal in four matches for his new team.
John looked slightly bulky and less mobile, but was still able to play well enough. The former English Premier League striker forced a good low save from Marchan midway through the half, and also won a free-kick when the Sando keeper took him out on the edge of the penalty area.
Favourites to win the Super League this season, Club Sando probably edged overall possession, but produced few dangerous moments for Glenroy Samuel, the former T&T Under-20 World Cup goalkeeper. Samuel made one block when striker Andre Quashie broke clear from wide, and there was a big penalty shout from the traveling Club Sando fans, for a handle-ball incident in the second session. Once again, the referee awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box.
Coach Anthony Streete, screamed for “width” from his star-studded Club Sando team, which contained several players with Pro League experience such as Nigel Daniel (San Juan Jabloteh), Anthony Parris (W Connection), Kemul Rivers (W Connection), Andre Quashie (W Connection), Kern Cupid (W Connection), Keron Smith (W Connection), Simeon Augustus (United Petrotrin), as well as former schoolboy Akeem Humprey (Naparima College).
But for all their endeavour, Club Sando mainly failed to break through sturdy WASA defending.
Former St Ann’s Rangers captain and Sando left-midfielder Devon Modeste, probably deserved a yellow card for violently booting the ball away when caught offside, but seeing the player’s frustration, the match official chose to be lenient.
SUNDAY’S NATIONAL SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS:
T&T Defence Force 2 (Sean Narcis 41st, Ronald St. Louis 83rd - penalty) v Joe Public F.C. 2 (Desmond Baptiste 3rd & and 39th)
WASA 1 (Keron Clarke 5th) v Club Sando 0
Coosal’s Las Lomas Utd 1 (Andre Nichols-penalty) v Siparia Spurs 2 (Chris Collins 2)
Real Maracas 1 (Marvin Manswell 33rd) v Petrotrin Palo Seco 4 (Darren Alexis 6th & 24th, Corey Cyrus 58th, Sylvester Teesdale 83rd)
Malabar F.C. 2 (Nicholas Armstrong 70th , Gorean Highley 73th) v FC Santa Rosa 1 (Rashard Griffith 54th)
Stokely Vale F.C. 0 v ‘D’ Lime Bar Goal City 1 (Kayode Legall)
NATIONAL SUPER LEAGUE STANDINGS
TEAMS P W D L GF GA GD PTS
PETROTRIN PALO SECO 4 3 1 0 12 6 6 10
WASA F.C. 4 3 0 1 12 5 7 9
CLUB SANDO 4 2 1 1 7 6 1 7
SIPARIA SPURS 4 2 1 1 8 8 0 7
N.L.C.B LA HORQUETTA S.A. 3 2 0 1 7 5 2 6
T&T DEFENCE FORCE 3 1 2 0 8 5 3 5
F.C. SANTA ROSA 4 1 2 1 4 4 0 5
D’ LIME BAR GOAL CITY 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
STOKELY VALE F.C. 3 1 0 2 3 3 0 3
1976 F.C. PHOENIX 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
MALABAR F.C. 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
REAL MARACAS F.C. 3 0 1 2 3 7 -4 1
JOE PUBLIC F.C. 4 0 1 3 4 9 -5 1
GUAYA UNITED 3 0 1 2 2 9 -7 1
COOSAL’S LAS LOMAS UTD 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 0
BETHEL UNITED 2 0 0 2 2 5 -3 0
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