Jabloteh beat wasteful Point Fortin Civic; Police go 4th in TTPFL

SAN Juan Jabloteh (30 points) consolidated third spot on the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) tier one table on April 13 when they earned a 2-0 win away to Point Fortin Civic at the Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin.

The win took Jabloteh within a point of the second-placed MIC Central FC Reboot (31 points), who beat defending champions AC Port of Spain by default on April 11 after the latter team failed to show up because of unpaid March salaries.

After being second best against a lively Civic team for the first half, Jabloteh turned the game on its head in the second half as goals by Secondary Schools Football League star Derrel Garcia and striker Elijah Seechan sealed the win.

Though second from bottom on the 12-team TTPFL table, Civic dominated the first half and a combination of poor finishing and a few smart saves from Jabloteh custodian Ja-ir Buckmire saw the teams head into the half goalless.

Civic's best chances in the first half fell to attacker Omri Baird, but he was denied on two occasions by an alert Buckmire, while he also banged another shot off the bar. In the 45th minute, Buckmire preserved the scoreline when he reacted well to beat away a stinging effort from Civic flanker Jordan Riley.

With Jabloteh needing a touch of inspiration, it came in the form of the 18-year-old Garcia in the 63rd minute when he slapped a wicked right-footed volley past goalie Terrence Lewis from just outside the area.

Three minutes later, Lewis was forced to make a fine save at his near post to keep out a long range blast from substitute Trevis Byron, who had a positive impact for the visitors.

Civic missed two more presentable chances before the 80-minute mark, and they paid the heavy price in the 86th minute when Jabloteh got their second goal as Seechan notched his 11th of the campaign. After receiving a through pass, Jabloteh winger Andell Fraser dinked the ball goalwards and over an advancing Lewis, with Seechan bundling home from two yards out.

In the first game of the Mahaica double-header, first-half goals from Shackiel Henry and Keron Cummings gave the seventh-placed Club Sando (22 points) a 2-0 victory over the cellar-placed Eagles FC. It was Eagles' 13th loss in 15 games.

At the Phase 2 La Horquetta recreation grounds on April 12, last season's runners-up Miscellaneous Police FC (26 points) jumped to fourth spot when they blanked the tenth-placed Prisons FC 3-0.

The teams went to the half scoreless, but Police found life in the second half as playmaker Joevin Jones scored a double to give his team a 2-0 advantage by the 80th minute. The brace took Jones' league tally to ten goals. In stoppage time, defender Elijah Belgrave sealed the points for the lawmen with his first goal of the campaign.

In the first game of the La Horquetta double-header, the sixth-placed Caledonia (24 points) got a 2-1 victory over 1976 FC Phoenix. "Cale" took the lead in the 18th minute through veteran defender Carlyle Mitchell. Phoenix responded just three minutes late through forward Kerri McDonald, but Caledonia got the decisive goal in the 37th minute when another veteran centre back, Daneil Cyrus, found the back of the net.

TTFPL tier one standings:

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

Defence Force FC*15*14*1*0*60*15*45*43

Central FC*15*10*1*4*40*26*14*31

Jabloteh*15*9*3*3*36*22*14*30

Police FC*15*8*2*5*42*26*16*26

AC PoS*15*7*5*3*29*18*11*26

Caledonia*15*7*3*5*26*29*-3*24

Club Sando*15*6*4*5*23*16*7*22

La Horquetta Rangers*15*3*6*6*25*28*-3*15

1976 FC Phoenix*15*3*4*8*20*31*-11*13

Prisons FC*15*3*3*9*18*29*-11*12

Point Fortin Civic*15*2*1*12*13*38*-25*7

Eagles FC*15*1*1*13*10*64*-54*4