THE lure of big money rendered the 2005 T&T Pro Bowl a non-vintage renewal of last year's final despite the presence of Vibe CT105 W. Connection and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, the teams that contested such a thriller 12 months ago.
A clinical strike from forward Kerry Noray in the 50th minute gave Jabloteh a 1-0 victory and their first major trophy of the new season.
With the biggest-ever prize in local football of more than $65,000 at stake, the teams played a robust, frenetic game which descended into an ill-tempered affair, in which goal-scoring opportunities could be numbered on one hand.
What was abundant, however, were yellow cards. Referee Ted Gordon seemed intent on controlling the aggresssion and dished out cards at will.
Getting the pale ones were Kerry Baptiste, Cyd Gray, Otis Seaton and Devon Mitchell of Jabloteh, while Nicholson Thom, Shane Calderon and Atiba Charles were similarly cautioned for W.Connection.
The first half was remembered only for an excellent reflex save by W. Connection's Colombian keeper Alejandro Figueroa to turn over Nicholas Addlery's header and referee Gordon's telling intervention by sending off Connection's Brazilian top-scorer Jefferson Goulart and Jabloteh stopper Keyeno Thomas after a clash half-hour into the tie.
Jabloteh earlier lost stopper Ian Gray, who was substituted after he had mowed down Goulart but got the worst of the exchange.
By the end, Jabloteh had also lost Cyd Gray, who got a second yellow after a wild tackle.
The defining moment in the game came in the 50th minute when Josh Johnson outpaced Nicholson Thom down the right and drove in a low cross for Noray to tuck past Figueroa.
Just prior to going behind, W. Connection's best effort had been a hard low shot from Brazilian Ronaldo Viana which was turned around the Jabloteh post by keeper Daurance Williams.
At one point in the second half, the teams settled down to play attractive football, but once in front, Jabloteh started to look the better team and appeared certain to double their tally in the 62nd minute.
A neat pass from Noray put Johnson clear of the W. Connection defence, but keeper Figueroa came up with two good saves from Johnson's shots to keep his Connection in the game.
Later, keeper Williams knew little as W.Connection's other Brazilian William Da Silva Oliveira sent a wickedly curling free kick just past his post, but that was the nearest Connection came to scoring. And after losing the over-exuberant Cyd Gray in the 78th minute, Jabloteh successfuly began to waste time.
Urged on by English coach Terry Fenwick, and abbetted mainly by national midfielder Aurtis Whittley, Jabloteh killed off the rest of the match, sending 2005 Pro League leaders W. Connection crashing to their first defeat of the season.