Defence and W Connection will meet in the Toyota Classic final after posting narrow semifinals win in a double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Sunday.
Defence Force advanced via a 1-0 win over two-time winners and defending champions Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh, and the Savonetta Boys outlasted ten-man Central FC 6-5 on penalty-kicks following a 2-2 draw.
For Defence Force Devorn Jorsling netted in the 41st minute with a right-footer from a Curtis Gonzales cross past Jabloteh goalkeeper Shemel Louison in a play which began from a quickly taken Jelani Felix free-kick.
Felix later struck the crossbar and Jabloteh looked dangerous on a few occasions, but it was Jorsling's first-half strike that separated both sides in the end after a dismal contest.
In the second semi-final, W Connection goalkeeper Julani Archibald redeemed himself when he produced the winning save when he denied a poorly taken strike by Central defender Jamal Jack after both sides were neck and neck throughout.
W Connection took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute when Neil Benjamin Jr chipped an advancing goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams from just inside the area after racing onto an Andre Toussaint feed.
However, Central midfielder Ataulla Guerra equalised two minutes later when he smashed a low drive past Archibald after combining with Willis Plaza in a right side move initiated by Nathaniel Garcia.Two minutes into the second-half, an errant pass from Archibald allowed Plaza to score into an open net for a 2-1 Couva Sharkslead.
But with nine minutes left on the clock, former Central FC striker Dwight Quintero, who was introduced 13 minutes from full-time at the expense of defensive midfielder Briel Thomas drew his team level with a glancing header off an Alvin Jones' free-kick.
Three minutes before the final whistle, Central was reduced to ten-men when referee Keon Yorke issued Nathaniel Garcia an automatic red card with three minutes for a foul on Jomal Williams.
Despite the setback, Central then came within inches of a late winner when Guerra's strike from distance in the 89th minute skidded off the outside of the base of goalkeeper Archibald's upright to the relief of W Connection, who went on to win a nerve-wrecking penalty shootout 6-5.
For W Connection, Jones, Jomal Williams, Shahdon Winchester and Gerard Williams converted their attempts while Quintero went from hero to villain as his effort hit the upright.Elijah Manners, Plaza and Darren Mitchell also scored, with Andre Ettienne hitting overbar.
In sudden-death, Kurt Frederick scored for W Connection and Marcus Joseph answered for Central FC as tensions rose to another level.
It was now down to Benjamin Jr, who also netted for W Connection, before Jack's lame effort was kept out by Archibald to put his team into the final on Sunday from 6.30 pm, where the winner will receive $70,000 and the runners-up, will take $20,000.
The action kicks off from 4.30 pm between St Mary's College (CIC) against Fatima College in contest for the Toyota Classic Challenge Trophy and $10,000.
