PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (July 29, 2025)—A top-of-the-table clash at the Hasely Crawford Stadium between CFU Club Shield champions Arnett Gardens and AC Port of Spain ended in a 4-1 defeat for the Jamaican team. The win for the Trinidadians was only good enough to propel them to second in the point standings, behind Club Franciscain of Martinique. As a result, both AC Port of Spain and Arnett Gardens exited the tournament.

The match began at a fast pace, with both sides looking to strike early. In just the second  minute, Haile Beckles found Josiah Wilson with a well-timed pass, but Wilson’s shot to the far post missed narrowly. Arnett Gardens responded in the 7th minute when Shai Smith’s header set up Roderick Granville, who fired wide.

Ricardo Thomas attempted to open the scoring for Arnett Gardens in the 21st minute, cutting inside to shoot, but AC Port of Spain captain and goalkeeper Jabari Phillip was equal to the task. Just three minutes later, the breakthrough came. Shackiel Henry received a pass from Jean-Heim McFee, shifted the ball to his left foot, and buried it into the far corner to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

McFee continued to trouble the Arnett defense, controlling a pass on his chest in the 30th minute and firing a shot that was deflected out for a corner. Brandon Semper tried a long-range effort in the 39th, but goalkeeper Roje Williams collected comfortably. Just before the break, Rushane Thompson had a chance to level the match with a powerful shot from the right, but Phillip parried it and eventually secured the ball.

AC Port of Spain took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The second half resumed with renewed intensity. In the 48th minute, Beckles was fouled just outside the area. Williams spilled Semper’s low-driven free kick, but the danger was cleared for a corner. Minutes later, Granville showed great footwork down the left, delivering a cross to Smith, whose squared ball across goal went begging as no one was there to finish.

The second goal arrived in the 65th minute. Beckles cut through the defense and found Henry, who laid it off for Wilson. Though Wilson missed the ball, McFee followed up with a strike that deflected off a defender and into the net to double the lead.

Arnett Gardens pushed for a response. In the 71st minute, Dexter Manning forced Phillip into a low save, and three minutes later, Phillip was called upon again to deny Manning once more.

The Jamaican side finally found the back of the net in the 77th minute when Joel Jones unleashed a powerful shot that beat Phillip to make it 2-1. However, the celebration was short-lived. A minute later, a misjudged cross from AC Port of Spain found its way past Williams, allowing Henry to tap in his second goal of the match and restore the two-goal cushion.

The final goal came in stoppage time (90+3), when Michael Chavez slotted home to make it 4-1. Despite their impressive showing, AC Port of Spain were unable to overcome the goal difference deficit, bringing an end to their CFU Club Shield campaign along with Arnett Gardens.