CHE BENNY’s wickedly-swerving free-kick secured leaders AC Port of Spain a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Central FC in the Trinidad and Tobago Premier League Tier 1 on Thursday night, cementing their qualification for the new 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship.
The top two Premier League teams at the end of tomorrow’s round of matches, will compete in the five-month CCCC, which offers direct qualification for several group winners to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League(CCL). A third T&T team will enter the second-tier 16-team CONCACAF Shield competition, which also offers a CCL spot to the overall winners.
Benny’s swerving free-kick proved the winner, as the “Capital Boyz” scored twice within a three-minute second half spell, with goals from Jamoul Francois and Benny, to win at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground, after trailing Central FC 1-2 in the second half.
Meanwhile, Defence Force and Tiger Tanks Club Sando will be the other T&T qualifiers for Caribbean club football this season. Defence Force put themselves in pole position to get T&T’s other CONCACAF Caribbean Club spot, with a 2-0 win over Club Sando at the Manny Ramjohn stadium, with in-form Dwight Quintero scoring near the half-hour mark and veteran midfielder Hasim Arcia doubling the score two minutes into second half added-on time.
Even though Terminix La Horquetta Rangers got back to winning ways when thumping the bottom team Cunupia FC 4-1, they still cannot catch the top three with a match to go.
Other matches saw W Connection leave Santa Cruz with a 2-2 draw with San Juan Jabloteh. Now sponsored, Heritage Petroleum Civic Centre, celebrated a 3-0 win over Morvant Caledonia AIA and Police FC won 3-1 over Prisons FC.
UPCOMING MATCHES:
Sunday
Venue — Police Barracks, St James
4 p.m. - Police FC vs Tiger Tanks Club Sando FC
Venue — Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella
4 p.m. -W Connection FC vs Defence Force FC
Venue — Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima
4 p.m. - AC Port of Spain vs Cunupia FC
Venue — Ato Boldon Recreation Ground, Santa Cruz
4 p.m. - San Juan Jabloteh vs Caledonia AIA
Venue — Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin
6 p.m. - Heritage Petroleum Civic vs Central FC
Venue — Phase 2 La Horquetta Recreation Ground
6 p.m. - Terminix La Horquetta Rangers vs Prison Service FC
TTPFL RESULTS:
Thursday
AC PORT OF SPAIN 3 (John-Paul Rochford 37th, Jomoul Francois 69th, Che Benny 71st) CENTRAL FC 2 (Keron Cummings 44th pen, Kesean St Rose 66th)
DEFENCE FORCE FC 2 (Dwight Quintero, 35th, Hashim Arcia 90th+2) TIGER TANKS CLUB SANDO 0
LH RANGERS 4 (Nathaniel Garcia 29th Junior Assoon 31st Daniel David 46th, Tarik Lee 90th+3)CUNUPIA FC 1( Luke Boucaud 35th)
POLICE FC 3 (Nathaniel Perouse 43rd own goal, Joevin Jones 75th Kadeem Hutchinson 90th+6) PRISONS SERVICE FC 1 (Akieem Bibby Bailey 70th)
W CONNECTION FC 2 (Neil Benjamin Jr 13th Jahmalee Barclay 90th+4) SAN JUAN JABLOTEH 2 (Kevon Woodley 45th+1, 59th)
POINT FORTIN CIVIC 3 (Wesley John 9th, Tyrell Emmanuel 28th, Shackiel Henry 86th) MORVANT CALEDONIA UTD 0
