Keron Clarke and Keston Henry tallied braces as Sports & Games FC Santa Rosa whipped Petrotrin Palo Seco to stay four points clear at the top of the T&T Football Association National Super League Premier Division on Sunday.
Three minutes after the resumption, Clarke completed his double to make it four goals in two matches, while Henry did likewise in the 53rd to extend the margin to 5-0 before Petrotrin Palo Seco got on the score board courtesy an own goal from the host in the 57th.
The win lifted Santa Rosa to 34 points from 16 matches, four more than Club Sando Moruga, which rebounded from its 7-1 drubbing by defending champions Defence Force with a convincing 4-1 thumping of cellar-placed Marabella Family Crisis Centre at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.
For Club Sando Moruga, Nigel John netted in the 43rd for a 1-0 half-time lead while Akiel London made it 2-0 in the 54th.
Kevin Moodie got Marabella back into the match when he found the target in the 63rd, but John then added his second of the afternoon in the 79th followed by an 85th minute strike by team-mate Jesse Edwards to seal the 4-1 victory.
At Maracas Valley Recreation Ground, St Joseph, Defence Force continued its title repeat push with a 3-2 defeat of Real Maracas.
Scorers of hat-tricks last week, Aaron Lester (ninth minute) and Josimar Belgrave with his competition best 19th goal of the campaign, in the 16th put the visitors in control at 2-1 with veteran Marvin Oliver replying for the host in the 13th.
Lester then restored Defence Force’s lead in the 27th minute with what turned out to be the final goal of the match, and the winner to improve his team to 29 points.
In other matches, Matura Re United, fifth with 24 points dropped off the pace somewhat after a 2-2 draw at Queen’s Park Cricket Club thanks to a 90th minute item from Kerin Vincent, his 15th of the season 1976 FC Phoenix dumped Guaya United 3-1 and Siparia Spurs thrashed Bethel United 9-1 inspired by a treble from Andy London to carry his tally to 14 on the campaign.
Results
Defence Force 3 (Aaron Lester 9th, 27th, Josimar Belgrave 16th) vs Real Maracas FC 2 (Marvin Oliver 13th, Ryan Stewart 29th)
Club Sando Moruga 4 (Nigel John 43rd, 79th, Akeil London 54th, Jesse Edwards 85th) vs Marabella Family CC 1 (Kevin Moodie 63rd)
QPCC 2 (Jared Bennett 6th, 63rd) vs Matura Re United 2 (Keston Jones 71st, Kerin Vincent 90th)
1976 FC Phoenix 3 (Nigel Thomas 49th, Lejandro Williams 86th, Dominic Mc Dougall 90th) vs Guaya United 1 (Jody Allsop 58th)
FC Santa Rosa 5 (Keron Clarke 17th, 48th, Keston Henry 25th, 53rd, Sheldon Nesbitt 20th) vs Petrotrin Palo Seco 1 (own goal 57th)
Siparia Spurs 9 (Daniel Garcia 25th, Shavon Frederick 31st, Andy London 39th, 64th, 90th, Chris Collins 72nd, Marcus Kelly 77th, 82nd, Darius Peters 80th) vs Bethel United 1 (Akeil Pope 88th)
Police FC vs WASA FC—postponed due to waterlogged field
STANDINGS
Latest NSL Premier Division
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Santa Rosa 16 10 4 2 35 16 34
Club Sando 16 9 3 4 31 31 30
Defence Force 16 8 5 3 42 33 29
Petrotrin 16 8 1 7 36 28 25
Matura 16 7 3 6 34 39 24
Police 15 6 4 5 23 17 22
Siparia 16 6 4 7 32 32 22
Phoenix 16 4 9 3 26 21 21
WASA 15 6 3 6 21 25 21
Real Maracas 16 6 2 8 27 26 20
Guaya Utd 16 5 4 7 25 25 19
Bethel Utd 16 4 3 9 25 38 15
QPCC 16 4 4 8 26 33 16
Marabella 16 3 1 12 18 37 10
NSL Championship Division standing
Teams P W D L F A Pts
UTT 9 5 3 1 20 11 18
Cunupia FC 9 5 1 3 23 14 17
Barrackpore 9 5 2 2 21 12 17
Central 500 9 5 2 2 19 14 17
Carenage 9 3 2 4 14 19 11
Youth Stars 7 3 0 4 14 15 9
T&T Prisons 9 1 5 3 13 17 8
Saddle Hill 8 2 1 5 13 23 7
P.V/D.M Utd 9 1 2 6 11 23 5