Police fails to hit target against a second string Connection
Police ended its 2011-12 campaign in miserable fashion on Friday night in the second clash of a Digicel Pro Bowl quarter-final double header at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium with the ‘Lawmen’ suffering a slim 1-0 defeat against a second string W Connection outfit.
Connection which featured a host of teenagers in its squad, resting out key players for upcoming Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship second round Group V matches on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, got the lone item in the 22nd minute from a strike by Jelani Grosvenor.
Fifteen year old Matthew Woo Ling, Anthony Parris and Neil Benjamin earned huge applauds for Connection dominating the first half against the Police outfit which started without the likes of Trent Noel and Errol Mc Farlane, while the reliable Noel Williams was only introduced as a second half substitute.
However the youthful Connection outfit looked short of concentration in the later stages and was very fortunate not too concede late goals.
Fifteen minutes from time Police FC’s Vernell Ramirez failed to make contact on a well placed cross by Anton Hutchinson on an excellent counter-attack buildup with the goal at his mercy.
And in the 82nd minute Hutchinson spilled across the face of goal, clearly giving away the match from a couple feet away from goal when he misdirected a perfect Williams cross behind the Connection defense.
Substitute Williams was involved in both opportunities and again in the 90th minute when he found Todd Ryan above the area, and the Police captain forced a save out of goalkeeper Aquelius Sylvester.
And in injury time substitute Dwight Elliot curled an effort wide of the upright after Sylvester spilled an effort by Williams into the path of onrushing Elliot.
In the second match of the double header defender Anthony Noriega scored twice to lead T&TEC FC 2-1 over DIRECTV North East Stars, while at the Hasely Crawford Stadium Caledonia AIA and Defence Force advanced into the semi-final round following 3-1 and 6-0 victories over St. Ann’s Rangers and Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh respectively.
Connection advanced to meet Caledonia from 6pm on Friday 11 May at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in the semi-final round and T&TEC are against Defence Force from 8pm.
W Connection—Aquelius Sylvester(gk), Kern Cupid(capt.), Akeem Benjamin, Kemuel Rivers, Jelani Grosvenor, Christian Viveros(Kenaz Williams 46th minute), Keon Quow(Jomal Williams 60th minute), Matthew Woo Ling, Anthony Parris, Johan Peltier(Akeem Humphrey 74th minute), Neil Benjamin
Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Police FC—Adisa Alleyne(gk), Todd Ryan(capt.), Errol Charles, Dexter Alleyne, Anton Hutchinson, Marc Rivers(Kareem Young 58th minute),Keron Clarke(Noel Williams 60th minute), Kurdell Braithwaite(Dwight Elliot 68th minute), Jevon Morris, Vernell Ramirez, Weslie John
Coach—Kelvin Jones
Full Digicel Pro Bowl quarter-final results
W Connection 1—0 Police FC
Jelani Grosvenor 22’
North East Stars 1—2 T&TEC FC
Anthony Wolfe 70’ ; Anthony Noriega 17’, 30’
St. Ann’s Rangers 1—3 Caledonia AIA
Cameron Roget 57’ ; Devorn Jorsling 25’, 90’, Abdallah Phillips 39’
Defence Force 6—0 San Juan Jabloteh
Richard Roy 5’, 71’, Ross Russell Jr. 20’, 59’, 90’, Michael Edwards 88’