Leaders AC PoS, Police held to draws

Having lost all 14 previous matches, cellar-placed Central FC picked up their first points of the 2023-24 season, stunning league leaders AC Port Of Spain in a 2-2 draw.

Later, in the second match of the double-header, second positioned Police FC also dropped points as a win would have seen them go top of the standings.

Trailing the Capital Boyz (AC PoS) by two points while also having played a match more going into Friday night’s match, the lawmen were held 1-1 by a tough Tiger Tanks Club Sando.

Jamal Jack, who was a recent call-up to the senior national team, scored at both ends.

The Tobagonian had previously won two CFU Club Championships and three T&T Pro League titles with Central FC, while also having plied his trade overseas for seven years.

The 36-year-old veteran returned to local professional football this season and recently earned a national recall, playing in two friendly internationals against Jamaica with a locally-based T&T team.

Jack was unfortunate when getting a left leg onto Kadeem Hutchinson’s low cross towards the near post. With goalkeeper Teshorne Ragoo seemingly having it covered, Jack instead diverted the ball inside the near post for an own goal in the 61st minute.

To his credit, Jack pushed forward and scored the equaliser in the 79th minute. Collecting a pass from Nathan Quashie —the former QRC and San Juan North schoolboy player— Jack curled a low shot around both his marker and national goalkeeper Adrian Foncette to restore parity for his team.

Earlier, league leaders AC Port of Spain had to fight back to rescue a share of the points against the bottom team Central FC.

Having conceded over 50 goals already this campaign, Central FC, to many’s surprise, were resilient defensively and were awarded a penalty for Brandon Semper’s back-post foul, following a looping corner-kick.

Former national goalkeeper Marvin Phillip appeared to get a touch to Saleem Henry’s spot–kick, but the power was too much to keep it out as Central FC took the lead in the 38th minute.

More surprise was in store for the fans when, in the 56th minute, Dominic Douglas doubled their advantage for a 2-0 scoreline, his first-time volley sending a looping cross into the far corner —a superb finish by the attacker.

AC Port of Spain were given a lifeline when an outstretched hand blocked Che Benny’s shot at goal, earning the Capital Boyz a penalty, which Benny himself converted in the 79th minute.

But as with vulnerable teams, once things aren’t not going well, Central FC began defending deeper, allowing AC Port of Spain to pull level just two minutes later.

Given space, midfielder Michel Poon Angeron shot from long range, striking the woodwork, and first to the ball was Grenadian Saydrel Lewis, who turned in the rebound from close-up in the 81st minute for 2-2.

Both teams had further chances to win the match. Central had two successive, quick chances to reclaim the lead.

A goal-line clearance saving AC Port of Spain, before the ball was put agonisingly wide following the resulting corner-kick.

And the Capital Boyz came even closer when Lewis’ cross found his Grenada national teammate Jamal Charles, who headed onto the crossbar in the dying stages.

TTPFL RESULTS:

(Friday)

Central FC 2 (Saleem Henry 38’ (Penalty), Dominic Douglas 56’) vs AC PoS 2 (Che Benny 79’, Saydrel Lewis 81’) Miscellaneous Police FC 1 (Jamal Jack 61’Og) vs Tiger Tanks Club Sando 1 (Jamal Jack 79’)

Today’s TTPFL fixtures:

TIER ONE:

6p.m. FC Phoenix vs Prison Service FC, Dwight Yorke Stadium

TIER TWO:

4p.m. PVDM UTD vs San Fernando Giants FC, Training field, Hasely Crawford Stadium

6.30p.m. QPCC FC vs Matura Reunited, Training field, Hasely Crawford Stadium

5pm UTT vs Guaya United, UTT Grounds, O’Meara Road, Arima

7p.m. Defence Force FC vs Harlem Strikers FC, UTT Grounds, O’Meara Road, Arima

SOURCE: T&T Express