December 11th, 2009.
W Connection lost a whole lot in the final stages of the 2009 Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation FA Trophy final when dramatically going down 3-2 to a ten-man Joe Public team at Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya on Wednesday night.
With the $80,000 prize and an automatic qualifying spot in the 2010 Caribbean Club within their grasp, W Connection’s dream was shattered.
First, Colombian central defender Gilmar Aras handed Joe Public a fortuitous 2-2 draw at the end of the regulation period when he got a head onto Gorean Highley’s seemingly aimless cross and re-directed the ball past his goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams.
Aras’ goal, a ’beautiful’ flicked header to the far corner, cancelled out strikes by teammates Clyde Leon (37th) and Matthew Bartholomew (81st) which seemed to have put Connection in a winning position at 2-1.
Earlier, Kerry Baptiste had Joe Public ahead in the 15th minute with a well-taken scissors kick to land his 48th goal of the 2009 season.
Then, two minutes from the end of the 30-minute extra-time period, Conrad Smith’s determination won the match for the Eastern Lions.
Stripping Gerrard Williams in midfield, the Joe Public substitute striker survived persistent tackling from the Antiguan defensive midfielder and clinched the honours with a hard, low shot from the edge of the box.
Keeper Williams was fully-stretched, but the ball kept moving away before hitting the far corner.
What a goal! In fact, what a game!
’We, the Warner family, are reaping the rewards of our labour,’ club owner and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner boasted after Joe Public added the FA Trophy to the 2009 Digicel Pro League, Big Six and Toyota Classic they had already won this season.
Warner added that he had shelled out an average of $4 million a year to keep the club functioning.
’The guys really went out there and fought hard,’ stated Joe Public coach Derek King.
’When we went a man down we came out and really worked hard for each other.’
Losing coach Stuart Charles Fevrier lamented an opportunity lost by his team who had a lean season by their high standards, winning only the 2009 Caribbean Club Championship and the Lucozade Goal Shield.
’It was a game we should have won very easily in my opinion. We dominated the game and created far more chances than Joe Public,’ Fevrier said, while laying no blame on Aras for the unfortunate goal which gave Joe Public a lifeline.
’It was an own goal, but these things happen.’
This year’s FA Trophy final was highlighted by beautiful goals.
Baptiste opened the scoring when he met Kareem Young’s pin-point cross at the back post with a first-time swivelling ’scissors’, But Clyde Leon had W Connection level at 1-1 when finishing a rebound off Bartholomew’s shot, after a series of short passes cut Joe Public to shreds,
Joe Public were a man short in the 40th minute when youngster Jean Luc Rochford was sent off by referee Neil Brizan for a nasty stamp at Aras.
And W Connection were intent on exploiting their man advantage when peppering the Joe Public goal from long range.
Leon drilled an outside-of-the-foot bullet which went over the crossbar in the 54th, while Joe Public keeper Alejandro Figueroa blocked a couple of similar missiles from Brazilian Jose Luis Seabra.
Striker Jonathan Frias also turned inside his marker from the edge of the box and just cleared the bar with a bullet, before Bartholomew finally headed in Joevin Jones’ perfect cross to give Connection a 2-1 advantage in the 81st minute.
One of two inspired King substitutions, Highley created enough distraction with his dribbling to force the error from Aras that levelled the score at the death.
In extra-time, Andre Pacheco should have put W Connection ahead again when cutting inside his marker, but only found the body of the keeper with his shot. But Joe Public’s Smith was clinical when scoring the winner with a low shot from 20 metres.
Emotions stirred, a fight looked imminent, But, in the end, Joe Public were rewarded for the efforts of defender Seon Power and his teammates.
2009 FA TROPHY
FINAL RESULT:
Joe Public 3 (Kerry Baptiste 15th, Eder Gilmar Aras 90th (own goal), Conrod Smith 118th) W Connection 2 (Clyde Leon 37th, Matthew Bartholomew 81st)
TEAMS:
Joe Public-Alejandro Figueroa, Kerry Baptiste (Captain), Carlyle Mitchell, Seon Power, Keion Goodridge, Kareem Young (Gorean Highley 83rd), Jean Luc Rochford (sent off), Yu Hoshide (Devon Leacock 66th), Trent Noel, Micah Lewis (Conrod Smith 60th), Hayden Tinto
Coach: Derek King
W Connection-Jan Michael Williams, Elijah Joseph (Captain), Hughton Hector, Eder Gilmar Aras, Clyde Leon, Jonathon Frias (Igor Santos 93rd), Nickolson Thomas, Matthew Bartholomew (Andrei Pacheco 86th), Christian Viveros (Jose Luis Seabra), Joevin Jones, Gerrard Williams
Coach: Stuart Charles Fevrier.
Referee: Neil Brizan.
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