AC PoS surrenders 2-0 lead in Concacaf Club loss
T&T Premier Football League champions AC Port-of-Spain squandered a 2-0 lead to go under to host Moca C 3-2 in their second Group B match of the 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup at Estadio Moca 85 in Moca, Dominican Republic on Tuesday night.
Coming off a 1-1 draw with Haiti’s Ouanaminthe FC last week at the same venue, the Walt Noreiga-coached T&T outfit and the host, who drew goalless with local rival Cibao FC also last week, were both looking to secure a first win.
The hosts were first to try their luck with veteran AC PoS goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, who replaced Denzil Smith in goal from the first match being forced into two early saves, first diving low to his right to parry away Ronald De Pena’s right-footed effort, and then a brilliant point blank save to keep out Juan Angeles right-footed shot from less than 12-yards out.
At the end of the field, T&T international John-Paul Rochford saw a right-footed free-kick from about 30 yards tipped over by Odalis Baez in the 20th minute, while Michel Poon-Angeron’s effort was easily collected by the Moca custodian.
However, three minutes before the interval, Rochford would put the visitors ahead with a right-footed free-kick that beat the five-man Moca FC wall and whisked pass a motionless Baez into the top right corner of the goal.
A minute after the resumption, Moca FC again started brightly, with striker Gustavo Ascona forcing Phillip to push over the bar.
However, in the 50th minute, AC PoS doubled their lead when captain Duane Muckette released Nathan Lewis inside the left-hand side of the 18-yard box, and his flighted left-footed centre was met by the head of the onrushing Rochford to silence the home crown.
But Moca FC quickly sliced the deficit in half when defender Jose Francisco’s downward header was partially blocked by Phillip’s, with Alan Aciar reacting first to the rebound with a close-range left-footed finish into the open net.
Lifted by the goal, Moca FC piled forward in search of the equaliser, and in the 62nd, Gustavo Ascona found the target, sweeping a left-footed effort into the far corner from a left-sided assist by substitute Víctor Sánchez, who replaced Angeles at the half.
With three minutes left in the match, Rochford had a golden chance to put AC PoS back ahead and complete his hat-trick, but the nippy T&T midfielder blasted his right-footed penalty overbar, letting Moca FC off the hook.
Rochford and his teammates would then pay for the missed chance when Moca FC was awarded a penalty on a foul by defender Maurice Ford, and from the resulting spot kick, Clifford Thomas converted the match-winner to give his team their first win to move to the top of the five-team table with four points from two matches, while AC PoS slipped to the bottom of the table with a point after two matches.
Noreiga and AC PoS will return home to face Antigua and Barbuda’s Jennings Grenades FC on September 17 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, while Moca will seek to continue its unbeaten start when it hosts Ouanaminthe FC on September 18. Last night Cibao and Grenades clashed.
Over in Kingston, Mount Pleasant FA won 2-1 against Arnett Gardens FC in an all-Jamaica Group A encounter at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, in their first meeting in a Concacaf club tournament.
Jahshaun Anglin scored the opening goal in the 33rd with a header inside the box, connecting on a short cross from Daniel Green.
Shai Smith tied the match in the 54th with a header at the edge of the goal area to connect on a long cross from Kimani Arbouine.
Kimoni Bailey earned the match-winning goal in the 82′ with precise footwork inside the box to find the back of the net and secure the full three points.
Mount Pleasant now sits second in Group A behind fellow Jamaican side Cavalier FC and will next be in action against T&T’s Miscellaneous Police FC on September 26 at Couva.
Arnett Gardens FC will also travel to Police FC, doing so first on September 19 for its second encounter of its campaign.
The Jamaican club will then return to Sabina Park on September 25 when it meets Real Hope FA of Haiti.
Today, Police FC, who also drew a 1-1 draw in their Group A opener with Haiti’s Real Hope at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, will be back at the same venue against Cavalier FC.
At the end of the two round-robin groups, the top two teams will advance to the semifinals, followed by the finals of the second edition of the regional cup competition, which serves as a qualifier for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup and crowns the Caribbean’s club champion.
Latest Concacaf Caribbean standings
Group A
Teams*P*W*D*L*F*A*Pts
Cavalier FC*1*1*0*0*2*0*3
Mount Pleasant*2*1*0*1*2*3*3
Police FC*1*0*1*0*1*1*1
Real Hope*1*0*1*0*1*1*1*
Arnett Gardens*1*0*0*1*1*2*0
Group B
Moca FC*2*1*1*0*3*2*4
Ouanaminthe FC*1*0*1*0*1*1*1
Cibao FC*1*0*1*0*0*0*1
AC PoS*2*0*1*1*3*4*1
Grenades*0*0*0*0*0*0*0
Today’s match
Cavalier FC vs Police FC – Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, 8 pm
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