Point Fortin stay perfect in NLCL U-19 Cup

POINT FORTIN Youth Academy maintained their perfect run in the 2023/24 Next Level Consulting Ltd (NCLC) under-19 community cup on Thursday night, as they earned a 1-0 victory over Made in La Brea at the Techier recreation ground in Point Fortin to move to nine points from three matches.

Point Fortin got their lone goal from the penalty mark, with Daniel Drayton deciding the game with his conversion in the 22nd minute.

Gasparillo Youths (six points) stayed within three points of group B leaders Point Fortin, as they blanked Kamillionare FC by a 4-0 margin at the Tabaquite recreation ground.

Gasparillo scored two goals in either half as they outplayed their cellar-placed opponents. James Baptiste opened the scoring for the second-placed Gasparillo in the 22nd minute, with Jaden Alexander, Tyrese Harding and Jahlown Lewis also getting their names on the scoresheet.

Central Soccer World (CSW) also moved to six points in group B as they got an exciting 3-2 comeback victory over Moruga FC at the Marac recreation ground in Moruga. Hunting a second win in the group, Moruga took the lead in the 14th minute through a goal from Che Teesdale.

Kelon Williams quickly equalised for CSW just a minute later, with Ethan Trotman and winger Nathan George giving the visitors a 3-1 lead by the hour mark. Terrel Thompson pulled back a goal in the 89th minute for Moruga, but CSW held on to claim all three points.

In group A, Athletic International Academy (AIA) jumped to the top of the seven-team standings as they got a thumping 8-0 win over Caledonia at the Eddie Hart recreation ground in Tacarigua.

AIA (seven points) leapfrogged QPCC (six points) who were on a bye, and they did so in fine style as well.

AIA did their scoring early and often and played their guests off the park in the first 15 minutes – rattling off four goals within a 12-minute span.

Both Jahdiel Chase-Charles and Jean-Marc Thomas scored two goals apiece in the game’s early stages, with both youngsters going on to register hat-tricks. Dalon Sankar scored AIA’s seventh goal in the 77th minute, with Donte Gordon rounding off the scoring with a penalty in the 90th minute.

Blast FC registered their first win of the campaign as they turned back the struggling Cantaro United by a 2-1 margin in their encounter in Macoya. Jelani Valentine and Quamy Waithe scored in either half to give Blast the victory.

In the surprise of the night, two-time defending champions Soccer Made Simple (SMS) were beaten by a 2-1 margin by Malabar Young Stars at the Bon Air East recreation ground.

SMS (four points) were aiming to top group A, and they got the perfect start when Arima North Secondary student Stephano Christopher converted a penalty in the ninth minute. SMS were swiftly pegged back, though, as Nathan Plaza equalised for Malabar in the 12th minute.

Anthony Wells then ensured the three points for Malabar with his goal in the 30th minute – pushing the visitors to six points and up to third in the group.