The TT Premier Football League resumed on Friday with a double-header at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground, and the opening encounter featured two teams with different aspirations. Here’s more from Wayne Cunningham.
AC Port of Spain were sitting in fifth spot going into their TTPFL Match Day 16 match-up and were desperate for a win to keep hope of post-season action alive. Their opponents on the day, 1976 FC Phoenix, in eighth, just wanted to stay out of the relegation discussion and were also seeking a win at the ground in Phase Two.
The Tobago outfit got down to their mission early. Sherwin Lovell was down but not out as he popped up after a tumble in the area to beat Marvin Phillip in the ACPOS goal 1–0 FC Phoenix in the fifth minute.
Phoenix almost burned the Capital men again when they initiated a counter-attack which ended with Phillip having to make a tough save after an errant clearance.
It would be ACPOS getting on the scoresheet next. Shaquille Holder banging it past Duvaughn Daniel through a crowd to tie up the scores in the 34th minute.
Two minutes into first-half added time, 1976 FC Phoenix would retake the lead. Andel Brown delivered a teasing corner, just right for the big man Keiron Matthews to flick home, and it’s 2–1.
That was the score at the break. ACPOS came out a determined bunch but the finishing let them down, Sedale McClean miscuing.
They got it right in the 76th minute following some good work on the left flank by Nathan Lewis, whose cross found Robert Primus, and he executed a textbook finish all at 2–2.
It would be the pride of Maloney, Nathan Lewis, doing the damage again to send Phoenix into despair when he floated in the perfect ball for Jelani Peters to head home in the 85th minute.
ACPOS with the come-from-behind 3–2 win over 1976 FC Phoenix.