Tobago United goalkeeper Sean Johnson of Guyana was in superb form on Friday night to help earn his team a 6-5 penalty-kicks win over St Ann's Rangers in the first of two Lucozade Sport Goal Shield qualifiers. This after both teams had battled to a goalless draw at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya. Johnson provided some brilliant saves during the regulation time before his team eventually won the match via a Dwayne Jack conversion, with the 16 spot-kick. With the win, Tobago who also qualified for the quarterfinals last year now faces tournament favourites and unbeaten Digicel Pro League leaders Defence Force at the same venue on Friday from 6pm. Before a decent crowd at Macoya on Friday, Tobago had a chance through Brenton Charles to go ahead but after picking up an errant Rangers' back pass, he was thwarted by the legs of Rangers goalkeeper Javan Seegobin while four minutes at the other end of the field Johnson kept out striker Beville Joseph's direct effort from inside the area.
Johnson was called into action again to deny a long range effort from Kaashif Thomas and two minutes from the interval Joseph muffed another attempt when he fired into the side netting from close range before he saw another shot from some yards out saved by Johnson.
But it was Rangers who almost went in 1-0 at the half when Devon Modeste chested down a throw-in only to see a shot flash across the face of the goal with Joseph and Aaron Stewart just failing to get in a touch at the far post. Within two minutes of the restart Tobago's Kevon Woodley whisked a shot past the far upright after a neat exchange with Durwin Ross while. Modeste saw a right footed free-kick ricochet off the crossbar in the 58th minute. Six minutes from full-time Johnson, who was nursing an injured leg rescued his team yet again whe he went low to his left to gather Modeste's goalbound header to send the match into penalty-kicks.
In the shoot-out, Guyana's Kayode Mc Kinnon, Ross and Woodley all converted their attempt for Tobago while Trimaine Sobers, missed and Pavel Warrick had his effort saved by Seegobin. Ranger meanwhile, saw captain, Josimar Belgrave, Adrian Narine and Clevon Mc Fee all hit the target in succession, before Modeste fired wide and Peters, with a chance to send his team into the last eight had his shot saved by Johnson to set up sudden-death kicks. Tobago United trio, Dwayne Murray, Brenton Charles and Jack showed cool heads in scoring their penalties, but after Rangers duo, Elijah Belgrave and Javon Wilson, netted their clubmate Nicholas Valentine missed the target to send his team packing to the dismay of coach Anthony "Prowler" Streete.
.....Stars set up Joe Public quarterfinal
An early item by Jamaican Sean Fraser and late items by Arnold Dwarika and Kimarley McDonald of Jamaica secured a comfortable 3-0 victory for DirecTV North East Stars over FC SouthEnd in the second qualifier. Stars will now meet bmobile Joe Public in the second quarter-final on Friday at Macoya. Earlier on, in the second ever penalty-kicks shoot-out South End had beaten Police FC 5-3 to earn their qualifying spot. The burly Fraser knocked in the opener in the tenth minutes before Dwarika doubled the lead with eight minutes left in the contest after being fed a pass by substitute Randolph Jerome, who had replaced fellow Guyanese Carey Harris nine minutes earlier.
With a minute left in the match, Mc Donald added a third item for Stars with a powerful under a dive of goalkeeper Aquelius Sylvester from an Akeil Guevara left sided taken corner
Lucozade Sport Goal Shield Results:
Friday:
Penalty Shoot-out:
South End 5 bt Police 3
Qualifying Round:
Tobago Utd 0 vs St Ann's Rangers 0 - Tobago won 6-5 on sudden-death penalties
NE Stars 3 (Sean Frazer 10th, Arnold Dwarika 82nd, Kimarley Mc Donald 89) vs South End 0.
Remaining matches:
Friday July 30:
Quarterfinals:
(A) - Defence Force vs Tobago Utd, 6pm.
(C) - W Connection vs Caledonia AIA, 8pm.
Saturday July 31:
(B) - Joe Public vs NE Stars, 6pm
(D) - Ma Pau vs San Juan Jabloteh, 8pm
Friday August 6:
Semifinals:
A vs D, 6pm
B vs C, 8pm
Final August 13:
Media All Stars vs Pro League Coaches, 6pm.
Final, 8pm.