DEFENCE FORCE withstood a player-disadvantage to earn a 2-2 draw with leaders Joe Public in their Match Day Sixteen clash of the Bmobile National Super League on Wednesday night.
The match was the second of back-to-back matches at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya as Defence Force got a last minute goal to force a draw against the table-toppers.
TTEC narrowed the gap with Joe Public to two points after a narrow 1-0 win against 1976 FC Phoenix at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, with Sylvester Teesdale (55th) on target.
Entering the clash knowing that TTEC won earlier in the day, Joe Public got off to a bright start when Michael Waldron leapt to head home Keston Henry’s right-sided centre after 20 minutes of action. Defence Force tied the scores in the 49th, as a ball from the centre from captain Keseon Theodore was met by Akil Pierre who directed his header to the right of goalkeeper Jevon Bourne.
Midfielder Dwight Scott was given his marching orders by referee Ishmael Mohammed for second bookable offence, upending Dorian Robinson in the penalty box, while Dexter Thornhill drilled home the subsequent penalty, in the 67th, via the fingertips of an airborne Keston Guy.
The match had a final piece of drama, as ex-Trinidad and Tobago forward Bevon Lewis rose to head home a left-sided corner from Pierre. Earlier at Tunapuna, Queen’s Park took care of third-placed Harvard by a 2-0 scoreline.
Jason Charles rifled a long-range rocket to give the Parkites a 40th minute lead, a right-footer which nestled to the top right-hand corner of Akintunde Felician’s net.
Defender Marcus Ashton was issued a red card by referee Nigel Roberts, in the 63rd, for a “professional” foul on the goal-bound Charles. And the result was secured seven minutes later as Charles led a counter-attack, feeding Simba Aberdeen on the left and, after forcing a save from Felician, an unmarked sub Otis Burris drilled his left-footer into the open net.
Club Sando overcame an early setback to blank last-placed Harlem Strikers 3-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. Anthony Dass gave Harlem a 17th minute lead but Jason Boodram tied the scores in the 25th. Andy London got the go-ahead goal for Club Sando in the 35th while Kareem Gibson netted the winner in the 67th.
In a match of twists and turns, Carenage United and WASA battled to an entertaining 3-3 draw at the Youth Camp in Chaguaramas.
Curtis Noel (30th) and Tyrone Charles (38th) gave Carenage a 2-0 advantage before WASA responded with three goals in the space of seven minutes, as Nigel Hart (54th and 61st) and Michael-Lee Celestine (59th) got their names on the scoresheet for the visitors.
But Charles had the final say, as he tied the scores in stoppage time. Due to a waterlogged field at the Sangre Grande Recreation Ground, the encounter between St Francois Nationals and Economy Strikers was postponed until October 28. League action will continue tomorrow.
STANDINGS:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Joe Public 15 11 2 2 40 15 35
T&TEC 15 11 0 4 35 18 33
Harvard 15 7 4 4 30 21 25
Phoenix 15 8 1 6 26 19 25
Queen’s Park 15 7 4 4 32 26 25
Club Sando 14 7 2 5 33 25 23
Defence Force 15 6 5 4 27 25 23
WASA 15 5 3 7 30 28 18
Economy Strikers 13 5 1 7 20 24 16
Carenage 14 4 2 8 18 29 14
St Francois 14 3 3 8 18 29 12
Harlem 14 2 3 9 10 36 9
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