Lee salvages point for Rangers against Sando, as top five Pro League teams draw

Third place Terminix La Horquetta Rangers lost a chance to close the gap with leaders Defence Force on match day six of the 2019/20 Pro League season, as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Tiger Tanks Club Sando on Friday at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground in Phase Two.

Leaders Defence Force and second place Police FC drew goalless at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar today, which means the top three places of the local top flight competition remain unchanged.

Rangers have 10 points from six outings while leaders Defence Force have 14 points. Police have 11 points although they have played seven games already.

The clash of the servicemen was the second goalless draw in Malabar this weekend, as fifth place Central FC and table proppers Cunupia FC also could not find a goal between them as they finished 0-0 on Saturday evening.

Elsewhere, fourth placed Morvant Caledonia United stretched their winless run to four matches as they had to come from behind to hold Point Fortin Civic 1-1 on Friday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.

Giant forward Kerville Jeremiah has scored in each of Civic’s last three fixtures and is the Pro League’s joint second highest scorer with four goals—two shy of Police marksman Keion Wilson. But a second half equaliser from Caledonia defender Tev Lawrence meant both teams had to share the spoils.

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W Connection returned to action, after their midweek bye, and made their fresh legs count, as they whipped AC Port of Spain 4-0 in Port of Spain. Three of Connection’s four goals came in the last five minutes, as a Dimitrie Apai double and a solitary item from captain Neil Benjamin Jr undid AC Port of Spain’s work over the previous 85 minutes.

At La Horquetta, veteran playmaker Hughtun Hector, used as a ‘false 9’, gave Sando the lead after just eight minutes and coach Angus Eve’s were still ahead at the interval. Hector spurned at least two gilt edged opportunities to get a second item in the second half too.

Rangers had more of the ball, though, and there was little surprise when Isaiah Lee equalised with a looping header off a cross from left back Ross Russell Jr in the 64th minute.

As the game grew increasingly stretched, either team might have got the winner and Quamina would be grateful for two fine saves from Rangers custodian Jabari St Hillaire from Sando midfielder Michael Basdeo and attacker Nion Lammy in the closing 15 minutes of the affair.

The final result did little for Sando’s league standing as they remain ninth from 11 teams with just one win and six points to show from their seven outings. It was more of a reflection of their offensive paucity than it was of their collective team play.

(Teams)

Terminix La Horquetta Rangers (4-4-2): 20.Jabari St Hillaire (GK); 99.Anselm Jackson, 5.Leslie Russell, 32.Yohannes Richardson (17.Ross Russell Jr 65), 26.Jesus Perez; 10.Tyrone Charles, 8.Jamal Creighton (captain), 24.Kishon Hackshaw, 77.Samuel Delice (7.Aikim Andrews 65); 15.Keron Cummings, 27.Isaiah Lee.

Unused substitutes: 29.Emmanuel John (GK), 25.Michael Yaw Darko, 28.Johnny Noriega-Brito, 31.Junior Asson.

Coach: Dave Quamina

Tiger Tanks Club Sando (4-2-3-1): 34.Kelvin Henry (GK); 23.Nicoholas Thomas, 5.Bevon Bass, 27.Darnell Hospedales, 6.Kemuel Rivers (captain); 8.Jabarry Francis, 12.Michael Basdeo; 10.Keron Cornwall, 42.Jodel Brown (17.Kevon Williams 78), 13.Shaqkeem Joseph (15.Nion Lammy 70); 19.Hughtun Hector (25.Marvin Waldrop 90).

Unused substitutes: 33.Alexei Julien (GK), 3.Tekay Hoyce, 14.Kadeem Gittens, 29.Seon Shippley.

Coach: Angus Eve

Wired868 Man of the Match: Isaiah Lee (Terminix La Horquetta Rangers)

Pro League results

(Friday 17 January)

TLH Rangers 1 (Isaiah Lee 64), Club Sando 1 (Hughtun Hector 8) at Phase 2, La Horquetta;

M’vt Caledonia 1 (Tev Lawrence 69), Pt Fortin Civic 1 (Kerville Jeremiah 22) at Hasely Crawford;

AC Port of Spain 0, W Connection 4 (Jevaughn Humphrey 21, Dimitrie Apai 85, 90+1, Neil Benjamin Jr 89) at Hasely Crawford;

(Saturday 18 January)

Cunupia FC 0, Central FC 0 at Larry Gomes Stadium;

(Sunday 19 January)

Police FC 0, Defence Force 0 at Larry Gomes Stadium.

Upcoming fixtures

(Tuesday 21 January)

San Juan Jabloteh v AC Port of Spain, 6pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium;

M’vt Caledonia v TLH Rangers, 8pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium;

Cunupia FC v W Connection, 7pm, Ato Boldon Stadium;

Pt Fortin Civic v Central FC, 7pm, Ato Boldon Stadium;

(Wednesday 22 January)

Club Sando v Defence Force, 7pm, Ato Boldon Stadium.