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ATHLETIC Club Port of Spain came up big in the end, securing the final available berth in the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Shield on May 31, capitalising on a decisive 5-0 win over 1976 FC Phoenix and a defeat for previous contender San Juan Jabloteh in the final round of TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) matches.
Their qualification completed the quartet of TT clubs bound for Caribbean competition: MIC Reboot Central FC, Miscellaneous Police FC and AC Port of Spain in the Caribbean Shield, and league champions Defence Force, who had already qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
This final round, played across two days, produced a surge of goals – 20 across four matches on Saturday alone – as clubs scrambled for valuable regional spots while navigating depleted squads.
Several teams were forced to contend with the absence of key players who were with the national team for the Unity Cup in London.
At the Arima Velodrome, AC Port of Spain entered their final fixture knowing only a win coupled with Jabloteh dropping points would keep their hopes alive.
And they did their job with authority.
Haile Beckles opened the scoring for AC Port of Spain in the 33rd minute, and within three minutes, Gabriel Nanton doubled the lead.
Nanton added his second after the hour mark with a clever backheel from a Michael Chaves free kick.
Jean-Heim McFee pounced on a goalkeeping error for a late fourth, and Beckles completed his brace in the 90th minute.
Attention turned to the La Horquetta Recreation Grounds, where San Juan Jabloteh needed a win over Club Sando to maintain fourth place and deny AC Port of Spain.
Instead, they fell behind early.
Sando struck through Shackiel Henry in the 12th minute and doubled their lead via Henry again on 27 minutes.
Luke Phillips made it 3-0 by the 36th. Elijah Seechan pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 61st and added a second in the 81st, but the late surge proved insufficient. Jabloteh’s 3-2 defeat left them fifth on 38 points, two behind AC Port of Spain’s final tally of 40.
Meanwhile, at La Horquetta Grounds, Central FC delivered the round’s most emphatic statement, routing Terminix La Horquetta Rangers 7-3 in a wild contest that underscored the gulf in class between the two sides.
Veteran Central captain Tyrone Charles, 36, was unstoppable, netting four goals – his second consecutive hat-trick in as many matches – stunning all to close his campaign on 17 goals and the golden boot.
Charles stunned the hosts in the very first minute, reacting quickest from a corner as Rangers were caught off-guard. He doubled the advantage with a composed finish in the 16th, capping a swift counter-attack initiated by his goalkeeper.
Rangers briefly responded, levelling before the half with a brace from Josiah Edwards in the 29th and 33rd minutes. However, Central’s superiority told after the break. Daniel David’s left-footed strike from distance restored their lead in the 50th, followed in rapid succession by Kadeem Corbin’s close-range finish two minutes later.
Charles completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute when Rangers goalkeeper Jabari St Hillaire inexplicably passed directly to him under pressure. Malik Mieres made it 6-2 with a firm header from a corner in the 70th, before Charles capped his night — and Central’s season — with his fourth goal in the 81st, slipping behind a static Rangers defence to finish clinically. Kesean St Rose grabbed a late consolation for Rangers in the 87th minute.
In Saturday’s other match, Police FC concluded their campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Point Fortin Civic at Arima Velodrome. Civic, already consigned to 11th, stunned the third-placed Police with an 11th-minute opener through Tequan Rodriguez.
But Joel Lewis equalised in the 20th minute, and second-half goals from Kadeem Hutchinson (66th) and Jabari Mitchell (76th) secured Police’s 14th win of the season, cementing their place in next season’s Shield.
On Sunday, Morvant Caledonia United edged Eagles FC 1-0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima.
The result did not change their positions in the standings with Caledonia placing seventh and Eagles 11th.
Zion Carpette snatched the winner in the 89th minute, reacting first to a loose ball after a poorly cleared corner.
It was the final match in the career of Caledonia defender and Man-of-the Match Carlyle Mitchell. In a post-game interview, he urged youngsters to keep working hard to achieve their goals.
"There are no shortcuts. Go out there and continue working hard," the former TT player, 37, said.
As the dust settled on the season’s final round, Defence Force completed their campaign with a final fixture against Prisons FC after press time.
Central FC ended second on 46 points, ahead of Police (45), AC Port of Spain (40) and Jabloteh (38). Club Sando (34) and Morvant Caledonia United (33) rounded out the top half of the 12-team table.
Defence Force and Central FC will contest the Caribbean Cup, while Police, Club Sando and AC Port of Spain will carry the flag in the Shield, with the latter two benefiting from a recent Caribbean Football Union decision to extend TT’s allocation for the 2025 edition.
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