Devorn Jorsling scored the decisive item, his first goal in two months to lead Defence Force to a 3-2 victory over Police FC when the 2015/2016 Digicel T&T Pro League resumed with a double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Tuesday night.
But it was the lawmen who struck early when Clevon Mc Fee scored with a 13th-minute left-footed effort past goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke and into the far corner off a pass from Makesi Lewis.
Mc Fee was denied a second goal three minutes later when Clarke matched his curling strike, directed at the far upper corner, with a one-handed save.
Police FC however allowed their 1-0 lead to slip less than two minutes into the second-half when a deflected left-footed Hashim Arcia shot left goalkeeper Kern Caesar with little chance, as the “Teteron Boys” drew level at 1-1.
It was the start of a miserable night for Caesar, who started in absence of first choice ‘keeper Adrian Foncette who was in Spain to witness yesterday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City via a Heineken promotion.
Caesar was beaten again in the 57th-minute when Defence Force winger Jemel Sebro poked a shot over the line for a 2-1 lead after the Police defence failed to clear a low Ross Russell Jr. cross.
The “Lawmen” managed to level the score at 2-2 in the 67th minute when forward Jameel Perry hit a low effort beyond Clarke after Lewis had created some anxiety in the Defence Force 18-yard box.
But, two minutes later Jorsling snatched the game winner when he headed past Caesar from close up for a 3-2 Defence Force win after Glynn Franklyn had headed a Marvin Jones corner back across the area.
The goal was Pro League all-team best 144th item from Jorsling, two more than North East Stars, Kerry Baptiste.
The Lawmen should have ended the match with ten men, but was lucky not too after defender Jibri Mc David elbowed Arcia near assistant referee Caleb Wales which infuriated the Defence Force bench, but was only punished by a yellow-card from referee Marlon Perouse.
With the win, Defence Force moved to 45 points and jumped two spots up the standings to second, seven points behind leaders Central FC, but only ahead of San Juan Jabloteh, who have a match in hand, only on goal-difference.
Japs North East Stars is now fourth with 44 points following a 3-1 whipping of recently crowned Lucozade Sport Goal Shield winner, Morvant Caledonia United led by a Baptiste who continued his brilliant scoring form with a double.
Baptiste fired Stars in front, 1-0, after 26 minutes, hitting past Caledonia goalkeeper Marvin Phillip from a rebound after the T&T national senior team shot-stopper had blocked a blast from Anthony Guppy.
The 34-year-old Baptiste scored on either side of the break – his second coming from the penalty spot – to put his league scoring this season to 11 goals from seven games in Stars colours and near a return to the top of the Pro League all-time scoring chart.
Baptiste, who went close early in both halves, made it 2-0 in the 58th-minute by beating Phillip from the penalty spot after Guppy was brought down in the area by defender Leslie Russell.
The former Pro League/Toyota Player of the Year was later denied his hat-trick by the crossbar in the 63rd minute after lifting an effort over Phillip, but boasts scoring in six of his seven league appearances for the Sangre Grande club since his return in the January/February transfer window from Central FC.
Baptiste was replaced by Chike Sullivan with ten minutes left and the latter scored within three minutes of being on the pitch with a tap in after scramble and failure to clear by the Morvant Caledonia defence.
With the result beyond doubt, substitute Akim Armstrong’s headed in the 90th minute consolation item for Morvant Caledonia with a shot that clipped the underside of the crossbar before it bounced over the line past goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel.
Stars’ with no chance at the Pro League title, now leads the Third Round with maximum 21 points from seven wins from as many matches and near the Kevon Carter (Round Three) trophy under coach Ross Russell.
Central FC, fresh off retaining its Caribbean Football Union Club Championship crown with a 3-0 win over fellow T&T Pro League W Connection, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Sunday will have a chance at clinching a second league crown on the trot as well with a win over Stars, at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Sunday.
W Connection meanwhile, fifth on the standings with 43 points and three games left resumes its efforts for a top-two league finish–which qualifies teams for the following season’s CFU Club Championship qualifiers against Defence Force at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva tomorrow (Friday) from 8pm.
Two hours earlier at Couva, Jabloteh faces Club Sando with second place on its mind as well.
Latest standings:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Central FC 24 16 4 4 55 17 52
Defence Force 25 13 6 6 52 22 45
Jabloteh 24 14 3 7 43 33 45
N/East Stars 25 13 5 7 42 44 44
W Connection 24 12 7 5 46 22 43
Police FC 25 11 4 10 56 51 37
Club Sando 24 8 3 13 31 48 27
Pt Fortin Civic 24 5 4 15 23 51 19
Morvant/Caledonia 25 5 3 17 24 56 18
St Ann’s Rangers 24 3 5 16 26 54 14
REMAINING FIXTURES:
Friday - Match-ups
Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva:
Club Sando vs San Juan Jabloteh—6pm
W Connection vs Defence Force—8pm
Mahaica Oval, Pt Fortin:
Point Fortin Civic vs Morvant Caledonia United—6pm
Sunday
Round Three Match Day Eight
Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella:
Central FC vs North East Stars—4pm
Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar:
St Ann's Rangers vs Police FC—4pm