NEW YORK CITY, NY (CMC) – San Juan Jabloteh became the first side to qualify for the semi-finals in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship, when they stopped Intermoengotapoe of Suriname 3-1 on Monday.

The reigning Trinidad & Tobago club champions got goals from Cyrano Glen, Devon Jamerson, and Robert Primus to surge past Inter in a second-leg match in Paramaribo.

The result gave Jabloteh a 5-2 aggregate triumph in the series and they now join the Puerto Rico Islanders in the semi-finals.

The Islanders were given a bye to the final four by having reached the semi-finals of the last Caribbean club championship and being one of only two teams that returned to this year’s tournament.

“I told the guys before the match to enjoy themselves and we went out and did that,” said Jabloteh’s St Lucian stand-in player/coach Earl Jean on the T&T Pro League website.

“I am really proud of them. I was ecstatic over the victory as coach, but it’s the players who deserve the credit.”

He added: “We played under harsh conditions, the lighting was poor, and the Inter players were playing with malicious intent, so to come back from going under very early and being the better team … I give the guys all the credit.

“With all that’s going on in the club and not having (regular coach) Terry Fenwick in Suriname, the guys led by Marvin Oliver did a great job.

“At the end of the day we have to protect our livelihood, showing our sponsors that they have invested in a good club and we did this.”

Before a crowd of 3 000, Marlon Bron gave Inter the lead in the third minute, but Glen equalised 10 minutes later.

The two sides attacked each other’s goal heartily, but the match swung decisively, following the ejection of Sirano Amoeferie in the 41st minute, after he drew his second consecutive yellow card from referee Mark ‘Bob’ Forde of Barbados.

In the second half, Jabloteh proceeded to take the game away from the Dutchmen through goals from Jamerson and Primus.

In the night’s other match, Tempete FC of Haiti shut out Greenbay Hoppers of Antigua & Barbuda 4-0 at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Tempete got a pair of goals from Cadet Eliphene in the 43rd and 71st minutes, after Charles Herrold opened the scoring in the 28th and Amius Thompson added another in the 35th.

This match was the first of their two match fixtures which conclude when Hoppers travel to Haiti for the return leg on May 1 at Saint-Marc.

One other series has yet to be completed. W Connection will travel to Haiti to face SA Cavaly today for the second leg of their second-round encounter, with the Trinidadian club leading 3-1 from the first leg.

The winners of the two remaining fixtures will join Puerto Rico Islanders and San Juan Jabloteh in the CFU Club Champions Cup semi-finals on May 15.  

A draw will determine the pairings, with the semi-final winners qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League and advancing to the title match on May 17 in Trinidad.

A third-place match will precede the title game and will determine the final Champions League qualifier.