A hat-trick from Moses Jaikaran and a brace from Kareem Baptiste Sunday, set the Harlem Strikers’ campaign off to a perfect start in Tier II of the T&T Premier Football League.
The Strikers made their struggling financial position public before the start of the competition last week but on the field, it was anything but a struggle.
Jaikaran led the way with three goals and Baptiste a double in a cruel demolition of Laventille United at the Frederick Settlement Recreation ground in Caroni, which marked a return to the ground labelled as unsuitable last season.
A large turnout, greeted the team after spending some two years away from the facility. Apart from Jaikaran and Baptiste, the Central lads got other items from Jaheim Ashby, Keithon Carter, and Jerron Francis in their winning effort.
Manager Gregory Mc Sween said the win showed that his team is up for “big things” this season, but they need some help in achieving it. Last season, the Strikers rebounded from a slow start to finish third in the Big Six Play-Offs, which followed a battle with Guaya United for the right to qualify for the six-team Play-Offs.
Their opening match of the season, against Tiger Tanks Club Sando at the El Dorado West Secondary School, was postponed due to a short turnout of officials. However, there was no stopping the victory for the Strikers following a commanding performance.
Mc Sween said his team will next face Bethel United in Tobago, and he wants to up the ante then.
“We are looking for better things in that game. In fact, we wanted a duplicate of that performance, but I think we can do even better. That victory is for the people of Frederick Settlement as well as the wider Central areas where our players have come from,” Mc Sween said.
He noted: “The problem now is that we really need a corporate citizen to come on board and help our cause. Our players are in need of boots, a stipend to travel to and from practice and games, water, and other refreshments for matches. We are trying our best right now but we need that added assistance to get us further.”
Meanwhile, in another match at O’Meara recreation ground in Arima, the home team, the University of T&T (UTT), went down to a heavy 6-1 loss to the Defence Force.
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