A LATE brace by Kareem Simon handed Defence Force a 3-1 victory over Carenage United in the bmobile National Super League (NSL) knockout competition and a place in the next round.
The match, at Defence Force Headquarters in Chaguaramas, was locked at 1-1 in the 77th minute before Simon provided the breakthrough. Five minutes later, he sealed the home win for the Army/Coast Guard semi-pro unit.
Defence Force had taken the lead in the first half through Keeson Theodore in the 24th, before Tyronne Charles equalised 12 minutes into the second period.
M&M Harvard also advanced, shutting out East West Coaching School 3-0 at Trinity College Ground, Moka. Club Sando were the only other team to advance within the allotted time, getting past St Francois Nationals on a Karim Gibson goal in the 80th.
WASA FC had their home encounter with Economy Strikers abandoned at the height of a penalty shootout, with the teams deadlocked at 6-6, due to bad light. The match went the distance after the teams were inseparable after 90 minutes of regulation time.
Irvin Reyes tied up the scores with his 82nd minute item for Strikers, only two minutes after Joel Daniel had given WASA the goal-ahead goal. The match went to kicks from the penalty mark, when nature intervened. A decision on a replay has not yet been made.
The fifth match of this first round, Harlem Strikers away to 1976 Phoenix at Canaan, Bon Accord, was rescheduled to next Tuesday.
The winners of that match will take on T&TEC-who are currently third in the Super League standings- in the next round, while the winners of the Economy Strikers/WASA contest will meet M&M Harvard, both at dates and times yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, leaders bmobile Joe Public face Defence Force Sunday from 4 p.m. in League action at the Marvin Lee Stadium, and Queen's Park host Club Sando concurrently at the Queen's Park Oval.
Wednesday's NSL knockout results:
M&M Harvard 3 (Glen Walker 23rd, Christon Freitas 36th, Dwight Dowdy 80th) v East West Coaching School 0
Club Sando 1 (Karim Gibson 80th) v St Francois Nationals 0
Defence Force 3 (Keeson Theodore 24th; Kareem Simon 77th, 82nd) v Carenage United 1 (Tyronne Charles 57th)
WASA FC 2 (Michael-Lee Celestine 11th, Joel Daniel 80th) v Economy Strikers 2 (Gary Jones 52nd, Irvin Reyes 82nd)
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