Connection ousts Phoenix, T&TEC survives Stokley scare in Toyota quarterfinals

Phoenix coming off a 3-1 win in the preliminary round against fellow Super League outfit and leaders Joe Public, failed to rise out of the flames a second consecutive time.

Meantime Connection advanced into the semi-final round carded for Friday 02 December and will meet the quarter-final winner between San Juan Jabloteh and Caledonia AIA which will play on Saturday 26 November from 8pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

Connection was denied in the 13th minute by goalkeeper Jeffrey Delpeche pushing behind an effort by Keron Cummings from outside the area and four minutes later teenaged left winger Neil Benjamin tested the Phoenix goalie with a low shot on the slippery surface which saw Delpeche spill on the first attempt before gathering on the second grab.

Delpeche was called into action again in the 22nd minute fisting away a blistering cross by Rennie Britto before the rebound was hammered well overbar by Hashim Arcia from inside the area.

Connection finally broke Delpeche in the 29th minute for a 1-0 advantage when Rivers’ left-footed strike from a free-kick some 24 yards out lifted over the wall and past the gloves of Phoenix’s goalie.

Kevin Keith was adjudged to have foul Kern Cupid by referee Michael London who awarded Connection the free-kick.

And two minutes from the break and a good buildup by the Tobagonians, Darren Mitchell who tested Jan Michael Williams with a tame effort and another shot wide of the far post earlier, was on target rifling a volley but unable to beat the Connection goalie.

Connection failed to add another eleven minutes inside the second period through substitute Matthew Bartholomew, who replaced Keon Quow at the break.

Bartholomew failed to bury a strike when he met Arcia’s cross with a tame side footed effort allowing goalkeeper Delpeche to recover and gather just outside the goaline.

Phoenix never gave up creating a few good openings.

Two minutes after replacing Kevin Keith, Makeil Mc Kenzie showed good skill inside the Connection area dribbling past two defenders however he finished with a miserable miss-kick behind in the 81st minute, followed by an 86th minute deflected shot from distance by Mc Kenzie which flew just wide.

And in the 90th minute substitute Le’Jandro Williams was denied by a fine Williams save.

Connection also had its miserable moments with the worst in the 79th minute when substitute Andre Quashie failed to unleash a shot with goalkeeper Delpeche at his mercy after inside the area taking a touch too many on Bartholomew’s pass inside the area.

Teams

W Connection—Jan Michael Williams (capt.), Elijah Joseph, Kemuel Rivers, Rennie Britto, Kern Cupid, Hashim Arcia, Keon Quow (Matthew Bartholomew 46th), Keron Cummings, Kenaz Williams, Jelani Grosvenor, Neil Benjamin (Andre Quashie 69th).

Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier.

Tobago Phoenix—Jeffrey Delpeche, Shelton Williams (capt.), Dave Grimshaw, Andel Brown, Simon Nedd (Yellow Card), Darren Mitchell, Kevin Keith (Yellow Card) (Makeil McKenzie 79th), Aaron Quashie (Stephano Wright 59th), Andel Noray (Le’Jandro Williams 65th), Javon Carrington, Nigel Thomas.

Coach—Terry Williams.

T&TEC survives Stokley scare in Toyota quarterfinals.

Never let your foot off the gas even when you’re in front was probably the lesson learnt by T&TEC FC on Friday night at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in the quarter-final round of the 2011 Toyota Classic against Tobagonian side Stokely Vale despite winning 4-3.

T&TEC at one point were leading 4-1 but a lackluster ending by the “Electric Boys’ and a puzzling change in goal by coach Dexter Cyrus replacing Akini Adams with Perry Martin saw Stokley Vale reduce the deficit 4-3 and struck the crossbar in injury time.

Striker Sylvester Teesdale had T&TEC in front just eight minutes inside when he headed past goalkeeper Ryan Stewart off Javed Mohammed’s right side corner for a 1-0 advantage.

T&TEC then lost its early advantage in the 19th minute when Travis Winchester leveled the scores 1-1 burying a shot into the roof of the net after Adams made a spill on a shot from outside the area.

But ten minutes from the break T&TEC jumped ahead again with a powerfully struck free kick at the edge of the area by Andrei Pacheco leaving the Tobagonians stunned for a 2-1 scoreline.

T&TEC added a third and fourth item when in the 55th minute Kern Peters capitalized on a spill by goalkeeper Stewart from Kelvin Modeste’s freekick banging in a shot from close range and less than a minute after coming on in the 77th minute, Jamal Ayres joined in on the fun with a superb finish for a 4-1 scoreline.

By that stage one would have expected the Tobagonians to surrender but not for Winchester and company.

Travis Winchester completed a double by the 79th minute with a solid finish against substitute goalie Perry Martin making it 4-2 and in the 88th minute substitute Rundel Winchester made it 4-3.

T&TEC was later rescued by the crossbar in injury time when Rundel headed onto the crossbar from inside the area off a freekick.

In the end T&TEC held on to advance into the semi-final round against the quarter-final winner between North East Stars against St. Ann’s Rangers from 6pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Saturday 26 November.

2011 Toyota Classic
Quarter-Final Round results

Friday 25 November
Mannie Ramjohn Stadium

W Connection 1—0 Tobago Phoenix
Kemuel Rivers 29’

T&TEC FC 4—3 Stokley Vale
Sylvester Teesdale 8’, Andrei Pacheco 35’, Kern Peters 55’, 68’  ; Travis Winchester 19’, 79’, Rundel Winchester 88’

Teams

T&TEC FC—Akini Adams (Perry Martin 75th), Kern Peters (capt.), Akeem Adams, Corneal Thomas, Javed Mohammed, Kelvin Modeste, Andrei Pacheco (Jamal Ayres 67th), Sylvester Teesdale, Kerlon Furgeson (Bevon Bass 56th), Marcus Joseph, Aubrey David.

Coach—Dexter Cyrus.

Stokely Vale—Ryan Stewart, Trevonne James (capt.), Kenton Robley (Yellow Card), Antonio Balfour, Wayne Watson, Tyrone Manning, Travis Winchester, Khrishawn Joseph, Onasi Ford (Jerron Quashie 77th), Keron Phillips, Omar Charles (Yellow Card).

Coach—Desmond Alfred.