TRINIDAD and Tobago Premier Football League (TTPFL) title hopefuls AC PoS (29 points) stretched their lead atop the 2023/24 TTPFL tier one table to five points on Wednesday night when they got a hard-fought 3-1 win over Terminix La Horquetta Rangers at the Phase 2 La Horquetta Recreation grounds.
The "Capital Boys" were led to the victory by attacker Sedale McLean, who scored in either half to give the visitors the victory against the fourth-placed Rangers (23 points). However, at the opposite end, veteran goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was equally important to the AC PoS cause as he made a string of fine saves in a Man-of-the-Match showing between the sticks.
As they piled on the pressure following McLean's smooth opening item in the 14th minute, Rangers unleashed as many as 20 shots on the AC PoS goal. Phillip, who retired from international duty with the Soca Warriors in November 2023, was up to the task as he pulled off 11 saves in the contest.
The 39-year-old Phillip was in particularly fine form in the first half, as he made crucial saves to deny efforts from Isaiah Lee, Keron "Ballpest" Cummings and his former AC PoS teammate Kadeem Corbin to preserve the visitors' 1-0 lead.
Five minutes into the second half, the league leaders doubled their advantage after Rangers central defender Jesus Perez and goalkeeper Jabari Brice made a meal of a routine ball into the area. McLean was the player to pounce on Rangers' sloppiness at the back as he shrugged off a weak tackle from Perez before beating Brice with ease at the first post.
As is their nature, the all-action Rangers team continued to attack, and they were finally rewarded in the 58th minute when their top-scorer Tyrone Charles sent in a sweet half-volley to finish off a Cummings cross.
Rangers have conceded more goals than any other team in the top five, and that stayed through to that form in the 75th minute when Che Benny killed off the contest with a penalty after a clumsy foul in the box by Brice.
In the inaugural TTPFL season last year, AC PoS were edged to the title by Defence Force on the final day of the season. And on Wednesday night, AC PoS would have rejoiced after the defending champions' surprise 1-0 loss to Prisons FC at the Arima Velodrome.
On February 18, Defence Force were stunned 2-0 by 1976 FC Phoenix in Bacolet, Tobago. However, they quickly bounced back with a 2-1 win against the second-placed Police FC (24 points) in their next match.
At the Velodrome, a fourth-minute goal from Prisons' winger Ricardo Alleyne brought the Army back down to earth and handed them a third loss in the TTPFL season — one more than they had in their entire 2023 campaign.
Despite the loss, Defence Force (23 points) kept third spot, with Prisons (18 points) consolidating sixth spot.
In the first game of a La Horquetta double-header, the seventh-placed Heritage Petroleum Point Fortin Civic (16 points) made light work of the cellar-placed Central FC when they got a massive 6-0 win.
Civic attacking midfielder Ezekiel Kesar was undoubtedly the st
