Miscellaneous Police FC made its exit from the Concacaf Caribbean Cup Thursday night, following in the footsteps of their compatriots AC Port-of-Spain two nights ago, courtesy of a goalless tie with Jamaica’s Mt Pleasant at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain.
With the result, the Lawmen moved to five points while Mt Pleasant moved to four with a game in hand in Group A. Leaders Cavaliers (six points) and Real Hope (five points) still have a game to play each, in the group.
Mt Pleasant FC, coached by former Jamaican midfielder Theodore Whitmore, settled quickly in the encounter and looked like the team more likely to score, however, couldn’t get the final ball to its striker.
Police, needing to win to have a chance of progressing in the group, got the best chance of the match in the 24th minute from veteran striker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, who connected on Mark Ramdeen’s headed-on pass with a one-time shot on the left foot that had goalkeeper Shaquan Davis totally beaten. However, the shot crashed against the upright and bounced to safety.
Six minutes later, Woodley played architect on another chance that Police should have taken the lead. The lanky striker was served inside the box, after pulling to the wide left but after turning and twisting his marker, Woodley laid off nicely for the onrushing Ramdeen whose thumping left-footer whisked just wide of the Mt Pleasant goal post.
In the fluctuating affair, Mt Pleasant, despite enjoying most of the possession, it was the home team that came even closer to an opening goal in the 32nd minute.
This time, Woodley served unmarked inside the box, unleashed a low shot that was saved by Davis, however, Kadeem Hutchinson with the goal at his mercy on the rebound, could not direct his shot on target.
With the game heading to halftime interval at 0-0, the Jamaican-based team almost squeezed in the opener. Bailey, who was a thorn for the Police defence all night long, was at the end of a Daniel Greene pass inside the six-yard box, but he somehow directed his shot wide of the open target in the 37th minute.
Upon the return, there was no change to the end-to-end affair. Mt Pleasant was unlucky not to have taken the lead when Adrian Foncette misjudged a lifted pass by Shaqueil Bradford inside the Police area. With Foncette certain the ball was heading over the bars, he turned his back as the ball instead struck the upper part of the upright before bouncing to safety in the 46th minute.
Later, it was Kimoni Bailey of Mt Pleasant again in the 57th minute. Bradford dribbled skilfully from left to centre, before releasing to the unmarked Bailey, but the latter hit a thunderous drive that Foncette somehow pushed wide.
Both coaches went for reinforcement in the remaining moments, still the opening goal eluded them. Whitmore’s choice of Trinidadian Nathaniel James as one of his go-to men nearly worked for him. The miniature T&T striker who scored a wonder free-kick to guide the Soca Warriors to a 2-1 triumph over the United States last year, was picked out from a right-side centre inside the Police penalty area, somehow though he could not get the ball past Foncette in the 77th minute.
Ten minutes later, the Jamaicans with a last-ditch effort to win the match, had all but regrets. Substitute Nicholas Nelson dribbled in from the left on a one-on-one with the Police custodian, but from point-blank range, he shot straight to the goalkeeper for a share of the points.
