AIA, Point Fortin stay atop NLCL groups; Gasparillo hammer Moruga 5-1

Athletic International Academy (AIA) maintained their one-point lead atop group A in the 2023/24 Next Level Consulting Ltd (NLC) under-19 community cup, when they got a comeback 2-1 win over Malabar Young Stars at Eddie Hart recreation ground, Tacarigua on Thursday.

AIA were stunned early on in the contest, as Malabar took the lead in the fifth minute through David Lewis.The group A table-toppers roared back in the second half, though, as they equalised through an own-goal in the 48th minute, before grabbing an 82nd-minute winner from Khadell Campbell.

AIA moved up to 14 points on the seven-team table and remain the only unbeaten team in the group.

The second-placed QPCC (13 points) stayed close on the heels of AIA, as they got a 3-1 win over the struggling Cantaro United team at the Brian Lara recreation ground in Santa Cruz. Fresh from a 3-1 loss to Caledonia in their previous match, QPCC conceded a goal just before the half against the cellar-placed Cantaro. However, the Parkites bounced back with vigour in the second half, with TT youth attacker Caden Trestrail scoring a brace to help secure the comeback win.

In Five Rivers, a resurgent Caledonia (12 points) continued their steep climb in group A as they blanked Blast FC by a 3-0 margin. Keiron Hinds opened the scoring for "Cale" in the second minute, with Kareem Richards and Zachary Joseph scoring in quick succession just past the hour-mark to seal the three points.

Caledonia jumped up to third on the table, leapfrogging two-time reigning champions Soccer Made Simple (ten points) in the process.

In group B, after the cancellation and subsequent rescheduling of their top-of-the-table clash, Point Fortin Youth Academy (16 points) and Central Soccer World (13 points) played to a 1-1 draw at the Techier recreation ground in Point Fortin. Kylon Cayenne gave Point Fortin an early lead in the tenth minute, but Central Soccer World ensured a share of the spoils in the 64th minute with a goal from Ethan Trotman.

At Marac recreation ground in Moruga, Gasparillo Youths (ten points) consolidated third spot on the group B table as they got a thumping 5-1 win away to Moruga FC. Malerky Fraser found the net early and often for Gasparillo and bagged a hat-trick, with Jerrell Griffith and Jabari Rodriguez scoring the other goals to give Gasparillo their third win in six matches.