Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 09/Jan 13:17

Kaihim Thomas brace downs 'Cale,' hands Army TTPFL lead

HOLDERS Defence Force (26 points) moved to the summit of the 2025/26 TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) table for the first time in the new campaign on January 7 after getting a hard-fought 3-1 win over Caledonia AIA (ten points) in a rescheduled fixture at the St James Police Barracks. After an impressive 2024/25 TTPFL season, which saw them sauntering to the league crown on the back of 20 wins in a fantastic unbeaten run, Defence Force had a wobbly start to this season by their standards after drawing their first two games. However, the Army/Coast Guard combination are the only team still to boast an unbeaten record for the 2025/26 campaign, with their midweek win over Caledonia pushing them a point past Miscellaneous Police FC (25 points) and into the TTPFL lead. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Defence Force at the barracks, as Caledonia took a fifth-minute lead through winger Jadiel Joseph, while goalkeeper Jabari St Hillaire came up clutch in the eighth minute when he saved a penalty from “Cale” ace Keron “Ballpest” Cummings. St Hillaire’s save seemed to inspire his teammates, as combative midfielder Rivaldo Coryat scored the equaliser with a half-volley from the edge of the area in the 13th minute, before in-form flanker Kaihim Thomas scored a goal in either half to lead Defence Force to their eighth straight league victory. “It was a really tough game last night,” Jorsling told Newsday on January 8. “Caledonia could be wherever on the table; this rivalry goes back many years and they always bring their ‘A’ game against us.” The go-ahead goal for Defence Force came in the 22nd minute when Thomas cut inside his marker to slap past goalkeeper Isaiah Diaz. Thomas, who scored and assisted in Defence Force’s victory over Jabloteh on January 3, continued his fine form as he sealed the points against Caledonia with a simple finish in second-half stoppage time. With Caledonia pressing for an equaliser, Army put the game to bed when playmaker Kevin Molino sprung new striker Nicholas Dillon on the counter before the latter squared for Thomas to apply a tap-in from close quarters. It was Thomas’ seventh goal of the season, which is just one short of the league’s top scorer Teejay Cadiz, who has netted eight times for the campaign. Jorsling heaped praise on Thomas, who he said has taken his game to the next level this season. “I had a chat with him at the start of the season. I told him he has a really good work-rate and we know he’s a good player, but to be an outstanding player, he has to start adding goals and assists to his game as attacking players are judged by these things,” Jorsling said. “Kevin Molino is turning 36 this year and won’t be around for a long time again professionally, and we need players to step up in that regard.” In the first game of the barracks double-header, Terminix La Horquetta Rangers (eight points) moved from the foot of the table to tenth when they got a 2-1 over Eagles FC (ten points) to end the latter team’s three-game winning streak. Eagles took the lead in the 11th minute when flanker Dominic Douglas scored his seventh goal of the season. Moses Jaikeran equalised for Rangers in the 64th minute, with the game’s winner coming in the 85th minute from 39-year-old veteran Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, who had just returned from a stint in Guyana. It was Rangers’ second victory of the season. The TTPFL action continues on January 9 with round two commencing with a double-header at the Phase 2 La Horquetta recreation ground. From 6 pm, the third-placed Club Sando (24 points) will take on the cellar-placed 1976 FC Phoenix (six points), with Caledonia tackling Eagles from 8 pm. TTFPL tier one standings: Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts Defence Force*10*8*2*0*24*9*15*26 Police FC*11*8*1*2*24*11*13*25 Club Sando*11*8*0*3*26*7*19*24 Prisons*11*7*1*3*18*10*8*22 MIC Central FC*10*5*2*3*18*19*-1*17 AC Port of Spain*11*4*4*3*15*15*0*16 Jabloteh*11*3*3*5*17*24*-7*12 Caledonia*10*3*1*6*20*22*-2*10 Eagles FC*11*3*1*7*18*21*-3*10 La Horquetta Rangers*11*2*2*7*9*24*-15*8 Point Fortin*11*2*1*8*9*24*-15*7 1976 FC Phoenix*10*2*0*8*12*24*-12*6 The post Kaihim Thomas brace downs 'Cale,' hands Army TTPFL lead appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.