Guaya United suffered its first defeat of the T&T Super League season, a shocking 1-0 loss to lowly Club Sando Moruga at the Grand Chemin Recreation Ground in Moruga that allowed League One winners FC Santa Rosa ‘Big Cannons’ to sneak within four points of the lead.
Coach Ron La Forest’s intention to take his tally to 32 points on Sunday was blocked when goalkeeper Shane Mattis’ desperate clearance from a goal-mouth scrimmage struck the back of Club Sando Moruga’s Jesse Edwards and flew into the back of the net in the 42nd minute, a goal that the leaders never recovered from thereafter despite numerous chances.
La Forest said his team just did not play well. Big Cannons coach Keith Look Loy said his team has reached a point where they can consolidate and hold firm in their remaining matches to retain the title they won last year.
On Sunday the Big Cannons shut out Cunupia FC 2-0 at the Arima Velodrome courtesy goals from new signing Ryan Stewart in the 54 minute and Rashad Griffith five minute later. Look Loy said his team sought to reinforce its goalscoring following the loss of instrumental striker Keron Clarke through injury.
He told Guardian Media Sports yesterday his team acquired during the recent transfer window, the services of Stewart and Heelon Mitchell, two former Guaya strikers who made a move to Real Maracas last year, as well as Dorian Robinson and Sheldon Nesbit.
“We feel that it has worked out so far because it was Stewart’s first goal that helped us to win the game Sunday” Look Loy said.
The win pushed the Big Cannons to 25 points after 11 matches and still with a game in hand, a rescheduled encounter with Queen’s Park to be played at a date and time to be announced. They trail Guaya (29 points) by four points currently.
Defence Force fluctuating affair on the table continued at the weekend with a 2-2 draw with third from bottom Siparia Spurs at the Fyzabad Petrotrin Sports Club that saw them replace the University of T&T at third with 20 points from fourth last week.
The Spurs surprised the Army men with a 25th minute goal but the visitors equalised in the 40th from Dwayne Calliste.
Jabari Andall later gave the Army Coast-Guard Combination the advantage for the first time in the game in the 59th minute, but Marcus Kelly levelled the scores for a second time in the 64th to ensure a share of the points.
Meanwhile The Parkites got a double strike from Devon Modeste in the 41st and 90th and another goal from Jabari Raphael in the 28th to prevail over Bethel FC 3-1 at the Training Pitch of the Hasely Crawford Stadium while UTT went down in a hard-fought 1-2 defeat to WASA at St Joseph.
The University men opened the scoring in the 53rd minute from Ishmael Daniel, but WASA stormed back with two unanswered goals from Dillon Peterson (77th) and Phillip Nelson in 91st.
In another game 1976 Phoenix FC edged Police FC 2-1 at the St James Barracks. Phoenix goals came from Leandro Williams and Kaleb Douglas while the lone item for the Lawmen came from the boot of Colin Williams.
11