A hat-trick from Isaiah Leacock confirmed Harlem Strikers as the third-best in Tier 2 of the T&T Premier Football League yesterday when they defeated Queen’s Park 5-1 at the Larry Games Stadium in Malabar, Arima.
The Strikers scored all the goals on the day, including the Parkites item which via an own goal from Jabari Andell in the fourth minute.
The game was a delayed encounter after protest action over Guaya United’s use of striker Derron John led to a battle to determine the sixth-place team to contest the Big 6 Playoff. Both Guaya and Harlem Strikers finished on identical points and goal difference. But after Guaya sought to enforce the FIFA head-to-head rule that gave them the edge, came the protest by the Strikers which the T&T Football Association upheld.
The Strikers then went on to beat Police in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to FC Phoenix 5-1 on penalties.
Yesterday, the own goal handed the Parkites the advantage but the Strikers struck back in the 13th minute from Clayton Carter before the Leacock show. The talented striker got goals in the 61st, 74th and 89th minute, while Jeremy Ashley drilled the final nail into the Queen’s Park coffin for the win and third-place honours.
After the match manager Gregory McSween said: “It was a very sweet win because Queen’s Park beat us in the first game. We had to fight throughout the entire League, including through a protest and now the boys have something to show for it.”
McSween added: “The players fought to the very end and the third-place title was confirmation they deserved to be among the top teams in the tournament.”
Yesterday’s result
Strikers 5 (Clayton Carter 13th, Isaiah Leacock 61st, 74th, 89th, Jeremy Ashley 79th) vs Queen’s Park 1 (Jabari Andell 4th).
