DEFENCE Force claimed the 2024 First Citizens Knockout Cup title when they got a comprehensive 3-1 victory against AC PoS in the final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Wednesday night.
A lethal hat-trick from former AC PoS striker Isaiah Leacock did the trick as the Army/Coast Guard combination sauntered to the knockout crown for the second straight season — pocketing a $100,000 prize in the process. Last season, coach Lloyd Andrews’ Defence Force team lifted the inaugural TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) knockout title when they defeated Terminix La Horquetta Rangers by a 5-3 margin in an extra-time thriller. And against the newly crowned TTPFL champions AC PoS, Defence Force showed they are still the knockout kings as they got their third win over their rivals in the 2023/24 season.
AC PoS copped the league title with a convincing win against Heritage Petroleum Point Fortin Civic on May 19, and they also showed off their fluency in a 4-1 First Citizens semifinal win against Prisons FC last week.
However, in the finale, AC PoS met their match and it came in the shape of their former front man Leacock. The talented striker, who lit up the TTPFL’s tier two with Harlem Strikers last season, opened the scoring with a sweet sliding volley in the 22nd minute to beat former Soca Warriors goalkeeper Marvin Phillip after receiving a cross from the left.
Leacock, who hails from Cocorite, celebrated his first goal by removing his playing jersey to pay homage the men who were the victims of a quadruple murder at Phase One, Powder Magazine on May 4.
Defence Force held a 1-0 lead at the half, and a bit of madness from Phillip saw the “Capital Boys” of AC PoS reduced to ten men soon after the interval.
In the 48th minute, after collecting a left-side Jelani Felix free kick, Phillip was shown a straight red card by referee Kwinsi Williams after flooring opposing midfielder Matthew Woo-Ling with a clothesline in the penalty area. Phillip made no fuss over his dismissal, and his replacement Jacques Poon-Lewis was comprehensively beaten from the spot by Leacock who rifled a left-footer into the top corner to make it 2-0 in the 52nd minute.
Defence Force were well in control at that point, and the final result looked like a forgone conclusion as the TTPFL champs struggled to establish the smooth and slick passing rhythm which helped them ascend to the title.
In the build-up to the game, Andrews said getting the upper hand in the middle of the park would have been key to the game’s outcome. And he definitely felt his battalion executed the game plan to a T to keep AC PoS’ crafty ball-players at bay.
“What made us successful is that we crowded them out of the centre, especially (Michel) Poon-Angeron and Duane Muckette. They started to come deep and go wide for the ball. And in doing that, it allowed us to organise defensively,” Andrews told Newsday.
[caption id="attachment_1086834" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Defence Force striker Isaiah Leacock. - (TTPFL)[/caption]
“They were unable to create t
