Kevin Molino hat-trick hands Army 6-2 win over Caledonia

Defence Force (18 points) registered their sixth straight win to start the 2024/25 TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) season on January 10 when they got a thumping 6-2 victory over Caledonia AIA at the Phase 2 La Horquetta Recreation Grounds.

The reigning First Citizens Knockout Cup champions maintained their amazing high-scoring streak in the process – scoring six goals for a fourth straight game. For a second consecutive game, Defence Force captain and Soca Warriors playmaker Kevin Molino stole the limelight, notching a second hat-trick in as many matches as his team blew away the third-placed Caledonia (ten points).

After his team beat defending champs AC PoS by a 6-3 margin in their previous game on January 3, Defence Force coach Densill Theobald said the best was yet to come from his charges.

The Army/Coast Guard combination did start in a scrappy fashion, but after Molino tucked away a 31st-minute penalty to give his team the lead and calm nerves, it was smooth sailing.

In a wild ten-minute span, the league leaders scored three goals in quick succession as they effectively killed the game, while Caledonia defender Ronell Paul was sent off for a second bookable offence and conceded the second penalty in the process.

Defence Force’s second goal came in the 34th minute when the in-form Isaiah Leacock headed into an empty net after goalkeeper Alfredo Alvarez saved a stinging effort from Molino.

Defender Justin Garcia then ensured Defence Force went into the half with a 3-0 lead when he calmly converted from the spot after Paul was penalised for handling in the area.

In attacker Jean-Heim McFee, Cale had a man who played well above the level of his teammates on the night, and he did his reputation no harm with a quality brace – the first of which reduced the deficit to 3-1 in the 52nd minute.

Soon enough, it was back to regular proceedings, though, and both Molino and Leacock scored their second goals as Defence Force opened up a 5-1 lead by the 57th minute.

In one of the sweetest moves of the night, Molino scored from close range in the 54th minute after Leacock took the defence out of the game with an accurate ball from the left. Three minutes later, Molino returned the favour to Leacock who volleyed past Alvarez from close quarters after receiving a lofted cross.

The attacks from Defence Force were relentless. And in the 61st minute, Molino, who’s fondly known as “Nash,” sealed his hat-trick and got his team’s sixth goal when he slammed in from about eight yards after a Caledonia defender inadvertently played a cross from Jelani Felix into his path.

It was Molino’s eight goal in the young campaign and took him one goal ahead of Leacock on the TTPFL’s scoring charts.

After putting six goals past Eagles FC, Terminix La Horquetta Rangers and AC PoS, Defence Force repeated the trick again to take their goal tally to 28 after just six games.

There was still time for the tireless McFee to receive applause from supporters, as he completed the scoring with a long-range thunderbolt past Jabari St Hillaire in the 88th minute to give Cale a late consolation.

Club Sando met the second-placed Central FC after press time in the second game of the La Horquetta double-header.

TTFPL tier one standings after Defence Force’s game vs Caledonia AIA on January 10.

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Defence Force FC*6*6*0*0*28*9*19*18

Central FC*5*4*0*1*14*5*9*12

Caledonia*6*3*1*2*10*13*-3*10

AC PoS*5*3*0*2*10*9*1*9

Police FC*5*2*1*2*14*10*4*7

Club Sando*5*1*3*1*11*6*5*6

Point Fortin Civic*5*2*0*3*7*8*-1*6

1976 FC Phoenix*5*2*0*3*9*14*-5*6 Jabloteh*5*1*2*2*10*11*-1*5

Prisons FC*5*1*2*2*7*10*-3*5

La Horquetta Rangers*5*1*1*3*7*12*-5*4

Eagles FC*5*0*0*5*3*23*-20*0

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