St Ann’s Rangers has lost its star striker Hector Sam and team manager Adrian Romain to Central FC this month while it appears that winger Jason Marcano will also head down the Uriah Butler Highway to the rookie Digicel Pro League club before the transfer window closes next week.
Rangers chairman Richard Fakoory might have enjoyed tonight’s results then as his team leapfrogged Central FC to sixth place in a minor shuffle near the foot of the Pro League table.
Rangers edged table proppers T&TEC FC 1-0 at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella today while Police FC and Central FC played to a goalless draw in the second fixture at the same venue.
The only goal in 180 minutes of football was scored by Rangers utility player Devon Modeste and it was his seventh Pro League goal of the season, which is more than half of the 11 goals scored by Rangers. It is far from modest returns, particularly when one considers that Modeste started the season at right back.
With Modeste upfront and new captain Jamal Jack in central defence, Fakoory might feel that he held on to his best players despite the stream of departures to Pro League rivals. Three other ex-Rangers players, Christon Thomas, Jevon Morris and Elijah Belgrave, were also on show tonight with Police.
In a game of few chances, T&TEC left back Angus John was denied by Rangers goalkeeper Akel Clarke in the first half while Fabian Garcia wasted a good scoring opportunity in the 70th minute.
In contrast, Rangers mustered just one real opportunity and Modeste made no mistake with a glancing header off a Cecil Jeffrey free kick in the 63rd minute to settle the contest.
The “Electricity Boys” finished with 10 players as Glen Sutton was ejected in the 76th minute of a scrappy contest.
The fixture between Police and Central certainly did not lack energy.
The Couva “Sharks” have been predictably busy in the transfer window this season but the “Lawmen” have been no slouches either.
Tonight, Police coach Richard Hood fielded former Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA pair of defender Kemron Purcell and flanker Kerry Fredericks along with his acquisitions from Rangers while Karlon Murray and Anton Hutchinson joined the “Blues” during their pre-season.
Police’s current fifth position in the League does not flatter the ambitious squad and the Lawmen nearly opened the scoring in spectacular fashion as Central goalkeeper and captain Marvin Phillip acrobatically tipped over a Thomas volley in the 15th minute.
Hood’s men could not maintain their promising start though as the Sharks forced them back and wrested control of the game by the second half.
Twice, Sam went close to the opener while Rennie Britto failed to convert the best chance of the match as he hit the heel of the upright from close range after being freed by a clever Hayden Tinto pass.
Veterans Marvin Oliver (Central) and Trent Noel (Police) were the best players on the field but, in the end, they had to settle for a point each.
It was the first League point for new Central coach Terry Fenwick, who lost 3-0 to defending champions DIRECTV W Connection last Saturday on his debut with the club.
But it was not enough to stop the Sharks from sliding to seventh place, one below Rangers, in the eight-team table.
(Teams)
Police (4-5-1): 33.Keston Mata; 18.Jevon Morris, 25.Kemron Purcell, 20.Elijah Belgrave, 8.Akiba Peters; 23.Kerry Fredericks (37.Vernell Ramirez 61), 10.Trent Noel, 21.Todd Ryan (captain), 5.Anton Hutchinson, 19.Christon Thomas (28.Aaron Stewart 88); 15.Jameel Perry (40.Kenaz Williams 80).
Unused substitutes: 16.Adisa Alleyne, 9.Keon Quow, 12.Ricardo Peltier, 17.Dexter Alleyne.
Coach: Richard Hood
Central FC (4-3-2-1): 1.Marvin Phillip; 16.Carey Harris, 37.Omar Charles, 3.Keion Goodridge, 24.Akeem Adams; 6.Marc Leslie (15.Sayid Freitas 89), 25.Justin Fojo, 10.Marvin Oliver; 11.Rennie Britto, 7.Hayden Tinto (12.Simba Aberdeen 85); 23.Hector Sam (18.Cyrano Glen 69).
Unused substitutes: 13.Shane Mattis, 14.Tyrone Charles, 19.Adrian Noel, 26.Quincy Charles.
Coach: Terry Fenwick
Referee: Cordero Gould
Digicel Pro League
(12 January 2013)
St Ann’s Rangers 1 (Devon Modeste 63), T&TEC 0 at Marabella
Central FC 0, Police 0 at Marabella
[standings league_id=1 template=extend logo=true]Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.