Malik Addley struck in the second half to earn mid-table North East Stars a well-deserved point in a 1-1 draw against Youth Pro League Under-13 leaders San Juan Jabloteh on Sunday, slowing the title favourites for the first time this season.
Jabloteh (19 points) entered play needing a win against the visitors at San Juan North Secondary and for rivals W Connection to either lose or draw against cellar-placed Defence Force FC to celebrate the title with two games to spare.
But neither went Jabloteh’s way. North East Stars (9 points) snapped the San Juan side’s 100 percent streak while Connection (16 points) narrowly defeated Defence Force 3-2 at Ato Boldon Stadium to close the gap to three points on the leaders.
Jabloteh must face Defence Force FC and Club Sando in their remaining league fixtures while Connection are against Sando and Central FC.
North East Stars looked the better side in the first half with fluency though falling behind 1-0 on the stroke of the half.
Deshawn Plaza punished the height of North East Stars’ pint-sized goalie Michael Peter Hadad in the 35th minute with a looping shot from distance to give Jabloteh lead 1-0.
Hadad had earlier proved huge between sticks when he stretched low to his left to keep out a penalty strike from Joachim Callender after Raheem Mohan was tripped up in the box by North East Stars’ big defender Jaden Williams.
Williams, much earlier, troubled Jabloteh with a free kick before the rebound effort by a teammate crashed off the upright as Jabloteh were spared.
Kendell Castle tested Hadad again from distance early in the second half but the Stars goalie made just enough height to stop the ball from entering his net a second time.
Addley turned up the hero in the 55th-minute by levelling North East Stars 1-1 from close up with his second goal of the season when teammate Jadail Joseph’s effort dropped to him off goalkeeper Joshua Gonzales’ crossbar.
Elsewhere, Nkosi Fuentes scored his sixth, seventh and eighth goals of the season to lift Morvant Caledonia United U13s over hosts Police FC in a 7-5 thriller at Police Academy.
Fuentes joins Jabloteh’s Thane Devenish and Central FC’s Micha’el John in the U13 Golden Boot lead with eight goals.
John struck his eight item to edge Central past visiting Club Sando 1-0 at Edinburgh 500, extending the U13 Sharks’ unbeaten run to six games since losing to Jabloteh on the opening day of the season.
Jabloteh were also held in the Under-15 division by North East Stars with that score ending 2-2.
Juan Montealegre-Corriols (66 & 74) scored twice in the second half to level North East Stars U15s after Nkosi Ambrose (1), from the penalty spot, and Israel Joseph (9) cushioned Jabloteh early. Jabloteh’s problems spilled over when Keshawn Diaz was ejected six minutes from time on a direct red card.
Jabloteh (14 points) slipped two spots into fourth on the U15 ladder, while Police FC (15 points) became the new leaders after a 3-0 win over Morvant Caledonia United thanks to a double from overall leading scorer Nathaniel O’Garro, who snatched his eighth and ninth goals, and an opening item from Jaden Moore all in the second half.
Civic (15 points) slipped off the top into second after being edged 1-0 by Terminix La Horquetta Rangers. Rangers moved up to spots into third but remains below Civic by a lesser goal-difference.
Jabloteh later registered their first Under-17 win of the campaign with a 4-2 result over North East Stars as both teams occupy seventh and eighth on a standing led by Point Fortin Civic (18 points).
Civic maintained grip with a 4-1 win over Terminix La Horquetta Rangers but the Point Fortin side are closely chased by Club Sando and W Connection, two teams on 16 points with two games left.
The Angus Eve-coached Sando defeated hosts Central 3-0 at Edinburgh 500 with Jaden Mc Kree netting a double before Kern Cedeno completed the win while Terrell Noel scored in the second half to separate Connection from cellar-placed Defence Force FC with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Sando will return to action against Connection on Saturday when they host the “Savonetta Boys” at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, while Central will welcome Morvant Caledonia United at Edinburgh 500. On the same day Defence Force FC must visit Jabloteh at San Juan North Secondary while Rangers and North East Stars will clash at D’Abadie Recreation Ground.
On Sunday, Police FC will travel to Civic at Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin.
Remaining Youth Pro League (league) 2019 fixtures
Match Day Eight
(May 11)
Central FC vs Morvant Caledonia United, at Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas;
Club Sando vs W Connection, at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;
San Juan Jabloteh vs Defence Force FC, at San Juan North Secondary;
Terminix La Horquetta Rangers vs North East Stars, at D’Abadie Recreation Ground.
(May 12)
Point Fortin Civic vs Police FC, at Mahaica Oval.
Match Day Nine
(May 19)
Point Fortin Civic vs Morvant Caledonia United
North East Stars vs Police FC
Terminix La Horquetta Rangers vs Defence Force FC
Club Sando vs San Juan Jabloteh
Central FC vs W Connection
Youth Pro League 2019
Match Day Seven results (May 5)
UNDER-13 Division
Police FC 5 (Antonio Cole 6’, 17’, Stephon James 10’, 13’, Jeremiah Gabriel 45’) vs Morvant Caledonia United 7 (Jaheam Bailey 12’, 33’, Jeremiah Glasgow Own Goal 35’+1, Nkosi Fuentes 38’, 53’, 59’ pen., Lyndell George 50’ pen.), at Police Academy;
Point Fortin Civic 0 vs Terminix La Horquetta Rangers 0, at Mahaica Oval;
San Juan Jabloteh 1 (Deshawn Plaza 35’) vs North East Stars 1 (Malik Addley 55’), at San Juan North Secondary;
W Connection 3 (Ayche Saunders 34’, Sahrai Mitchell 49’, Chaz Forde 69’) vs Defence Force FC 2 (Roshon Doobay 9’, Micah Nelson 42’), Ato Boldon Stadium;
Central FC 1 (Micha’el John 27’) vs Club Sando 0, at Edinburgh 500.
UNDER-15 Division
Police FC 3 (Jayden Moore 49’, Nathaniel O’Garro 58’, 75’) vs Morvant Caledonia United 0, at Police Academy;
Point Fortin Civic 0 vs Terminix La Horquetta Rangers 1 (Tinto Phillip 22’), at Mahaica Oval;
San Juan Jabloteh 2 (Nkosi Ambrose 1’ pen., Israel Joseph 9’) vs North East Stars 2 (Juan Montealegre-Corriols 66’, 74’), at San Juan North Secondary;
W Connection 3 (Maliki Clement 13’, Tyrell Bereaux 14’, Jaden Grant 88’+2) vs Defence Force FC 0, Ato Boldon Stadium;
Central FC 1 (Christopher Brooks 66’) vs Club Sando 1 (Jean-Pierre Reyes 49’), at Edinburgh 500.
UNDER-17 Division
Police FC 2 (Terrell Brown 5’, Matthias Hinkson 25’) vs Morvant Caledonia United 1 (Jardell Mitchell 11’), at Police Academy;
Point Fortin Civic 4 (Ezekiel Kesar 2’, Ezekiel Richards 60’, Jahmali Cobham 79’, Darion Campbell 81’) vs Terminix La Horquetta Rangers 1 (Josiah Edwards 7’), at Mahaica Oval;
San Juan Jabloteh 4 (Malachai Daniel 3’, 7’, Jerry Morris 15’, 33’) vs North East Stars 2 (Jordan Romany 9’, 89’), at San Juan North Secondary;
W Connection 1 (Terrell Noel 54’) vs Defence Force FC 0, Ato Boldon Stadium;
Central FC 0 vs Club Sando 3 (Jaden Mc Kree 7’, 51’, Kern Cedeno 87’), at Edinburgh 500.