Late Tyrone Charles penalty lifts Central to 2nd in Premier League

A penalty in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage-time from substitute Tyrone Charles gave Central FC (21 points) a 3-2 comeback win against Prisons FC at the Arima Velodrome on February 8 and propelled them to second spot on the 2024/25 TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) standings.

Coming on as a halftime replacement for fellow veteran striker Kevon "Showtime" Woodley, the 36-year-old Charles had a big impact on the game as he dispatched a clinical free kick to give his team a 2-1 lead early in the second half. And after referee Rodphin Harris pointed to the spot for a handball infringement in stoppage-time, Charles kept his cool to beat goalkeeper Kahlil Oliver from the spot to take Central past reigning champions AC Port of Spain (20 points) on the 12-team table.

Central moved within six points of leaders Defence Force (27 points), who were scheduled to play Point Fortin Civic after press time on February 9.

Earlier, the tenth-placed Prisons were rewarded for their industry and positive first-half display when Kevon Williams scored from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute after defender Ross Russell Jr committed a foul on Prisons attacker Jeremiah Vidale.

In first-half stoppage-time, Prisons came close to getting their second goal as Seon Thomas shot agonisingly over bar when he tried to catch custodian Levi Fernandez off his line with an audacious effort from the centre circle.

Seconds later, Prisons conceded at the other end as Kadeem Corbin scored his sixth goal of the campaign as he beat Oliver with a scrappy finish from close range.

The teams went into the break deadlocked, but Charles swiftly tilted the game in Central's favour in the 49th minute when he beat Oliver and the Prisons wall with a well-placed free kick into the bottom corner from just outside the area.

With Central now grabbing the ascendancy, both Corbin and winger Jameel Neptune failed to convert presentable opportunities. In the 66th minute, Corbin was in the thick of the action again as he slammed an indirect free kick just wide of the mark.

In the 78th minute, Prisons got back on level terms when Williams banged in his second penalty of the game after flanker Brendon Figuera was chopped down in the area.

With the game seemingly heading towards a draw, Central made their final charge late on.

In the 90th minute, substitute Dominic Douglas crashed a header off the bar from a Daniel David corner. Six minutes later, Charles did the business for the "Couva Sharks" when he beat Oliver from the spot to give Central their seventh win of the campaign.

In the first game of the Arima double-header, AC PoS netted a stoppage-time goal of their own as they salvaged a 1-1 draw with Terminix La Horquetta Rangers (ten points) thanks to defender and captain Robert Primus.

The eighth-placed Rangers took the lead in the 46th minute when striker Malachi Celestine slotted in a one-time finish after receiving a right side cross.

AC PoS pressed for the equaliser late on, and Fatima College star Michael Chaves rocked the post in the 81st minute. Eight minutes later, Primus had a close range effort brilliantly stopped by Rangers' St Benedict's College goalkeeper Thane Devenish.

In the fourth minute of stoppage-time, Chaves and Primus combined to devastating effect as the latter slammed a volley past Devenish to secure a point for AC PoS.

It was AC PoS' second straight draw and sees them slipping to third.

TTFPL tier one standings:

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Defence Force FC*9*9*0*0*37*10*27*27

Central FC*10*7*0*3*28*18*10*21

AC PoS*10*6*2*2*20*11*9*20

Police FC*9*5*1*3*31*18*13*16

Caledonia*9*5*1*3*14*18*-4*16

Jabloteh*9*4*3*2*22*15*7*15

Club Sando*9*3*3*3*17*14*3*12

La Horquetta Rangers*10*2*4*4*17*19*-2*10

1976 FC Phoenix*9*2*1*6*11*21*-10*7

Prisons FC*10*1*3*6*12*22*-10*6

Point Fortin Civic*9*2*0*7*9*19*-10*6

Eagles FC*9*1*0*8*8*41*-33*3