NSL: Belgrave resurrects Army’s title hopes with late winner; FC Santa Rosa march on

Defence Force was once again indebted to veteran Josimar Belgrave as he stole the show late on with a double in the closing three minutes of the game as the “Teteron Boys” overcame Marabella Crisis Centre 2-1 in National Super League action on Sunday 9 October.

The result ensured that Defence Force remained on the heels of NSL Premiership leaders Sports and Games FC Santa Rosa.

Photo: Defence Force attacker Josimar Belgrave (left) heads for goal  during NSL Premiership Division action against Stokely Vale FC on 21 February 2016 in Macoya. (Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Photo: Defence Force attacker Josimar Belgrave (left) heads for goal during NSL Premiership Division action against Stokely Vale FC on 21 February 2016 in Macoya.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

The “Big Cannons” of Santa Rosa continued their assault on the Trinidad and Tobago’s second tier competition as they handily dispatching WASA FC  3-0 in St Joseph to stay five points clear at the top of the table with nine matches remaining.

Santa Rosa had to wait until the 59th minute to break the deadlock through Kevon Cornwall before Keron Clarke bagged a double in the 70th and 89th minutes to add further gloss to the scoreline.


Club president and head coach of the Arima based team, Keith Look Loy, stated in a pre-season interview with Wired868, that he was targeting a top four finish and slow and steady progress. But with 17 games under their belt, the Big Cannons must be harbouring slightly more loft ambitions.

They will next face off in the league against third placed Club Sando Moruga, who were held to a 2-2 draw with Police FC on the weekend.

All four goals came in an electric 10 minute span in the first half, as Police twice led through Kareem Perry and Jason Boodram only for Sando Moruga to equalise each time through Donrick Mascall and Nigel John.

Photo: Police FC brothers Jameel (left) and Kareem Perry (centre) celebrate during a Pro League knock out affair in the 2013/14 season. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Police FC brothers Jameel (left) and Kareem Perry (centre) celebrate during a Pro League knock out affair in the 2013/14 season.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Elsewhere, Petrotrin Palo Seco continued their woeful recent defensive record as they conceded five goals to high flying Siparia Spurs, who are now sixth and on a five game unbeaten streak.

Andy London, who scored a hattrick in their previous dismantling, bagged a brace to take his goal tally to 16 for the 2016/17 season in their high scoring 5-4 win over the “Oil Boys”.

On the south-east coast, 2015/16 Premiership runners-up, Guaya United, hammered lowly Bethel United 4-1 while, in the north-east, Matura ReUnited spanked another Tobago outfit, 1976 Phoenix, 4-1. Matura’s Kerin Vincent scored his 17th goal of the season against Phoenix, which brought him within four items of the Premiership’s top scorer, Belgrave.

Meanwhile, ex-Guaya talisman and NSL Premiership 2015/16 MVP, Ryan “Fry” Stewart, scored twice to help his new team, Real Maracas, to a 4-2 win over QPCC, who now sit in 12th position in the 14-team standings.

Meanwhile, in the National Super League Championship Division, UTT suffered a shock 3-2 loss to struggling Petit Valley/Diego Martin FC, which allowed Cunupia FC to leapfrog them at the top of the standings.


Photo: North East Stars striker Gorean "Ratty" Highley is congratulated by a teammate after his decisive goal against Club Sando in 2015/16 Pro League action in Couva. (Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Photo: Former North East Stars striker Gorean “Ratty” Highley is congratulated by a teammate after his decisive goal against Club Sando in 2015/16 Pro League action in Couva.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Former Pro League attackers Gorean Highley and Michael Yaw Darko notched goals for Cunupia as they downed Prisons FC 2-0 to top the standings with 19 points, one better than UTT.

The result of the round was Youth Stars’ destruction of Carenage United, though, as the Championship’s top scorer, Hakeem Legall, grabbed a hattrick in an emphatic 8-1 win.

Legall has 11 goals this season—two more than Barrackpore United’s Mikheil Peters and the Cunupia duo of Michael Yaw Darko and Stevon Stoute.

NSL Premiership Division Results 

(9 October 2016)

Defence Force 2 (Josimar Belgrave 87, 90+1), Marabella Family Crisis Centre 1 (Juma Clarence 40)

Real Maracas FC 4 (Ryan Stewart 35, 49, Omeaku Barbour 56, 62), QPCC 2 (Jared Bennet 55, Own Goal 90+2)

Club Sando Moruga 2 (Donnrick Mascall 15, Nigel John 23), Police FC 2 (Kareem Perry 13, Jason Boodram 20)

Matura ReUnited 4 (Kerin Vincent 4, 61, Keston Jones 19, Brendon Figuera 53), 1976 FC Phoenix 1 (Dominique Kerr 31)

WASA FC 0, S&G FC Santa Rosa 3 (Kevon Cornwall 59, Kerron Clarke 70, 89)

Guaya United 4 (Keylon Thomas 2, Andy Hagley 60, Brandon Roberts 65, Akeel Pope 90), Bethel United 1 (Omar Charles 50)

Petrotrin Palo Seco 4 (Bevon Bass 6, Renifor Martin 20, Tigana Sparks 45 + 3, Cory Cyrus 73), Siparia Spurs 5 (Chris Collins 17, 26, Daniel Garcia 25, Andy London 45, 49)

Photo: National Super League logo.
Photo: National Super League logo.

NSL Championship Division Results 

(Saturday 8 October 2016)

Prisons 0, Cunupia FC 2 (Gorean Highley 10, Michael Yaw Darko 43)

Saddle Hill Hotspur 3 (Cyrano Glen 49, 67, Hakeem King 82), Barrackpore United SC 2 (Mikheil Peters 4)

Petit Valley/Diego Martin FC 3 (Eric Charles 4, Samuel Delice 25, 56), UTT 2 (Isaiah Mejias 22, Weak Adams 52)

Carenage United 1 (Clint Williams 33), Youth Stars 8 (Hakeem Legall 8, 82,88, Own Goal 10, Jelani Mitchell 13, 83, Henson Charles 38, Ackeel Sterling 79)

Central 500 Spartans were on a bye

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About Amiel Mohammed

Amiel Mohammed is a sports enthusiast and has worked in communications for Central FC and the Women's Premier League TT. He has also pioneered numerous projects geared towards creating opportunities for the differently abled such as the Differently-Abled Football Camp 2015 and Focus Football Coaching Academy.

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3 comments

  1. Yeah and Josimar Belgrave took me up on my most goals offer eh, so he said that he is going to win it this season and he presently have 21 goals, oh how I love it when my prolific goalscorers are very confident of themselves eh..hhahahaha

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