Caribbean Sports Network

MA PAU moved to second spot in the Digicel Pro League standings after spanking Tobago United 3-1 in their Round One Match Day Five meeting at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Saturday night. Following the five games on schedule, Ma Pau is in second spot with nine points, three points adrift of Defence Force, with W Connection, Joe Public and San Juan Jabloteh trailing.

The handful of supporters at Mucurapo saw Trevin Caesar, Kerry Noray and Anthony Wolfe find the back of the net for Ma Pau, while Kayode McKinnon responded for Tobago United.

Caesar opened the scoring after 13 minutes, capitalising on a loose ball and drilling a low right-footer past the left of Tobago’s outstretched goalkeeper Andrew Durant.

Midfielder Rennie Britto was a force for Ma Pau on the right flank, and he did well to find Lester Peltier inside the penalty box, but the striker failed to widen the team’s advantage.

But, in the 27th, Britto’s cross from the right was spilled by Durant, and Noray pounced on the loose ball to give Ma Pau a two-goal cushion.

Moments after the restart, Caesar tested Durant with a long-range effort, which went wide, while McKinnon, captain of Tobago United, had a chance to reduce the deficit when he was sent clear on goal, but his effort was blocked by Ma Pau goalie Shane Mattis.

McKinnon atoned for that error in the 64th, curling a right-footed freekick past the diving Mattis after he was impeded, on his way to goal, by veteran defender Cyd Gray.

However, Ma Pau had a wonderful opportunity to score, ten minutes later, when Caesar and Kevin Molino exchanged passes before Caesar chipped the advancing Durant. The ball was trickling wide but Peltier tracked the ball and sent it at goal, before it was cleared off the line by Michael Crandon.

Wolfe ended any glimmer of hope Tobago had of sharing the points with a thunderous free-kick, at the edge of the penalty box, in stoppage time after referee Gregory Guevara spotted a handle-ball by defender Dwayne Jack.

Both W Connection and Joe Public failed to make up ground between themselves and leaders Defence Force. Connection and Joe Public drew 1-1 at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.

Yu Hoshide converted a freekick, past Connection’s goalie Miguel Lloyd, to put the defending champs ahead in the 16th.

But Matthew Bartholomew, after he was taken down by stand-in Joe Public captain Makan Hislop, replied with another spot-kick, this time a 20th minute penalty, sending keeper Marvin Phillip the wrong way.

Most of the action took place in the second period, with Andre Toussaint, in his first game against his former club, forcing a good save from Lloyd, while Marcus Joseph’s powerful left-footed free-kick went inches overbar, as Joe Public went in search of the go-ahead goal.

Connection had a golden opportunity in the 65th, as Joevin Jones’ indirect freekick fell to Teba McKnight who failed to divert the ball past Phillip, while Joe Public’s defender Jevon Morris watched in agony as his long-range effort whizzed past the uprights.

Morris will not last the full game, as he was send off by referee Neal Brizan, in the 84th, for his second bookable offence.

St Ann’s Rangers swapped places with Caledonia AIA, moving up to eighth spot after a 5-2 trouncing of the cellar-placed Police at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

On Friday, at Mucurapo, FC South End pipped AIA 2-1 while San Juan Jabloteh took care of North East Stars 2-0.

Round One Match Day Six action will be contested this weekend (June 4 and 5).

STANDINGS

Pl*W*D*L*F*A*Pts

Defence Force*4*4*0*0*9*1*12

Ma Pau*5*2*3*0*7*4*9

W Connection*5*2*2*1*7*6*8

Joe Public*5*1*4*0*8*5*7

San Juan Jabloteh*5*2*1*2*7*4*7

North East Stars*5*1*3*1*7*6*6

FC South End*5*2*0*3*5*7*6

St Ann’s Rangers*4*1*2*1*7*6*5

Caledonia AIA*4*1*1*2*6*8*4

Tobago United*4*0*1*3*4*12*1

Police*4*0*1*3*5*14*1