No Molino, no problem; Army win 10th straight TTPFL game

TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) table-toppers Defence Force (30 points) extended their lead in the 2024/25 table to nine points on February 9 when they got a thumping 5-1 win over the 11th-placed Point Fortin Civic at the Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin in the second game of a doubleheader.

Having won nine straight league games prior to their meeting with Civic, the Army/Coast Guard combination were expected to face a test from the hosts as they were without as many as six players due to duties with the Soca Warriors. Captain and playmaker Kevin Molino, who has ten league goals, was one of the absentees.

Defence Force didn't skip a beat, though, and they took a 2-0 lead after 14 minutes with goals from their new centre back pairing of Joshua Araujo-Wilson and Shirwin Noel.

In the 56th minute, striker Isaiah Leacock continued his fine form when he scored his 11th goal of the season with a penalty conversion to make it 3-0. Leacock's goal took him to the top of the TTPFL scoring charts.

Five minutes later, Defence Force were assured of the three points when midfielder Rivaldo Coryat netted his third goal of the season.

Civic pulled back a goal through Akinola Gregory in the 77th minute. However, Defence Force restored their four-goal advantage and put the gloss on their tenth win of the campaign when substitute Nicholas Bobcome scored in the 82nd minute.

In the other match in Mahaica, San Juan Jabloteh overturned a 1-0 halftime deficit as they defeated Caledonia (16 points) 2-1 to surge past their match-day opponents on the 12-team table. Jabloteh moved up to fifth spot with 18 points.

Caledonia took the lead through a goal from Devon Charles in the 31st minute. Without the attacking pair of Derrel "Zum Zum" Garcia and Lindell Sween due to national duty, Jabloteh dug deep in the second half to turn the game on its head.

Jabloteh's equaliser came from striker Elijah Seechan, who scored his sixth goal of the season when he fired in a right-footed shot from a tight angle after receiving a Trevis Byron through pass.

As the game neared 90 minutes, Byron took matters into his own hands when he curled a right-footed shot into the far corner after cutting in from the left flank.

With Jabloteh creeping back into the top five with their win, last season's runners-up Miscellaneous Police FC (19 points) consolidated fourth spot when they defeated Club Sando (12 points) 1-0 at the St James Police Barracks.

With the game drifting towards a goalless draw, Police substitute Xavier Rajpaul grabbed the win for his team in the 89th minute when he slapped a left-footer into the top corner from the edge of the area after receiving a cut-back from the right flank.

In the other game in St James, the ninth-placed 1976 FC Phoenix and the bottom-placed Eagles FC failed to fire as they played to a goalless draw.

TTFPL tier one standings:

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

Defence Force FC*10*10*0*0*42*11*31*30

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

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

Police FC*10*6*1*3*32*18*14*19

Jabloteh*10*5*3*2*24*16*8*18

Caledonia*10*5*1*4*15*20*-5*16

Club Sando*10*3*3*4*17*15*2*12

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

1976 FC Phoenix*10*2*2*6*11*21*-10*8

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

Point Fortin Civic*10*2*0*8*10*24*-14*6

Eagles FC*10*1*1*8*8*41*-33*4