Super League leaders and TT Pro League ambitious, Club Sando, advanced into the semi-final round of the 2013 Toyota Classic by edging Caledonia AIA 11-10 on penalties following an equally thrilling 2-2 draw at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Friday night.
It took a total twenty-six (26) kicks from the penalty spot to separate both sides. In the end, and probably deserving so, after being denied three times by the framework during regulation time, Sando celebrated the victory and a spot in next weekend’s semi-final round.
Sando, coached by former St. Ann’s Rangers head coach and W Connection assistant coach, Anthony Streete, advances to meet the quarter-final winner between Central FC and Defence Force, which will be contested from 8pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday night.
Two hours earlier (6pm), Connection will tackle Malabar FC at the Couva venue, and the winner of that encounter advances to meet the winner between Point Fortin Civic and Guaya United, which will be contested from 3pm on Sunday at the Mahaica Oval.
And definitely, no team would want to endure the nerve wrecking suspense of Caledonia and Sando on kicks from the penalty spot.
Caledonia led the game by the 10th minute when utility player Noel Williams bundled over the line, a Kareem Joseph cross intended for striker Jamal Gay, but nonetheless celebrated the unfashionable 1-0 advantage.
The Morvant/Laventille club then failed to double its advantage on the half hour mark, when Grenadian Kithson Bain volleyed just wide of goal from just inside the area after receiving a Gay pass and racing into the area.
Caledonia also failed to preserve the advantage before the break.
Present Club Sando captain and former W Connection striker, Teba Mc Knight, who was denied by goalkeeper Shemel Louision in the 39th minute, executed a volley in the 45th minute in which the Caledonia goalie was beaten by the bounce for a 1-1 score.
Williams tried the restore Caledonia’s advantage three minutes inside the second period, but Sando goalie and eventual hero on kicks from the penalty mark, was well placed to make a save.
It definitely wasn’t an easy night for Caledonia, against Sando, the recently crowned Super League knockout champs, which they face again on Wednesday in the FA Trophy Round of 32.
Sando looked a bit more constructive on the night and in the 54th minute former Rangers striker Devon Modeste struck the crossbar after picking up a long cross by McKnight.
Modeste later spilled wide of goal in the 77th minute after disposing Caledonia substitute Akim Armstrong of the ball in midfield and creating an opening for himself.
Caledonia almost restored the go ahead goal ten minutes from time when Keyon Edwards executed some fancy footwork to elude Sando left-back Kemuel Rivers, but his pass into the area was cued wide of the far post by Joseph.
Sando then took the advantage, 2-1, for the first time in the 86th minute when Ryan Fredericks, who struck the crossbar in the 45th minute, lashed home an Anthony Parris pass to beat Louision following a patient buildup by Streete’s players.
However that advantage was short-lived. Less than a minute later Caledonia substitute Julian Wade executed a lobbed header off a Nathan Lewis cross to beat Marchan and leveling the scores 2-2.
Sando had the last try in the 92nd minute, and from a tight angle, Modeste rattled the Caledonia crossbar, while the Morvant/Laventille technical area led by coach Jamaal Shabazz and veteran midfielder Abdallah Phillips had to fend off verbal attacks by Sando supporters.
Then it was down to the seemingly never-ending kicks from the penalty mark. And after Lousion made two big saves to deny Sando’s first two kickers, Mc Knight and Parris, and set the pace for Caledonia, Nuru Abdallah Muhammad missed the target in the fourth and Williams was denied in the fifth kick by Marchan, who kept the southerners alive.
McKnight and Parris weren’t generous in the second cycle of kicks—after all 22 players had their kicks—by defeating Louision, before Marchan made a save against Stephan David that ended it all.
Kicks from the penalty mark
Club Sando (11) Caledonia AIA (10)
Teba Mc Knight (saved) Kareem Joseph(scored)
Anthony Parris (saved) Stephan David (scored)
Kemuel Rivers (scored) Keyon Edwards (scored)
Devon Modeste (scored) Nuru Abdallah Muhammad (missed)
Kern Cupid (scored) Noel Williams (saved)
Corneal Thomas (scored) Akim Armstrong (scored)
Devon Drayton (scored) Julian Wade (scored)
Jesse Downing (scored) Jamal Smith (scored)
Andre Marchan (scored) Akeem Thomas (scored)
Ryan Fredericks (scored) Nathan Lewis (scored)
Dwayne Charles (scored) Shemel Louison (scored)
Teba Mc Knight (scored) Kareem Moses (scored)
Anthony Parris (scored) Stephan David (saved)
Regular time score
Caledonia AIA 2—2 Club Sando
Noel Williams 10’, Julian Wade 87’ ; Teba McKnight 42’, Ryan Fredericks 86’
Teams
Caledonia AIA—1. Shemel Louison, 7. Stephan David (capt.), 3. Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, 5. Akeem Thomas, 6. Marcus Ambrose (27. Nathan Lewis 46th), 9. Keyon Edwards (Yellow Card), 10. Kithson Bain (17. Akim Armstrong 67th), 12. Kareem Joseph, 14. Jamaal Smith, 20. Noel Williams, 23. Jamal Gay (Yellow Card) (13. Julian Wade 81st)
Unused substitutes—11. Abdallah Phillips, 16. Tyrone Charles, 24. Kevaughn Connell, 25. Keron Bethelmey
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz
Club Sando—1. Andre Marchan, 111. Teba McKnight (capt.), 4. Anthony Parris, 6. Kemuel Rivers, 8. Kerron Smith (5. Devon Drayton 74th), 9. Jesse Downing, 13. Kern Cupid, 19. Ryan Fredericks, 20. Dwayne Charles, 22. Corneal Thomas, 24. Devon Modeste
Unused substitutes—33. Alexei Julien (GK), 10. Andy London, 12. Nigel Daniel, 14. Randy Britto, 18. Andre Phillip, 26. Ryan Dipsingh
Coach—Anthony Streete