KEITH GRIFFITH, the Barbados-born coach of Joe Public FC, has pleaded with the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League to postpone the upcoming First Citizens Cup Final to next Sunday to give his team a few days rest from their hectic match schedule.

Griffith’s appeal came immediately after Joe Public’s slender 1-0 victory over Pro League leaders CLICO San Juan Jabloteh in their First Citizens Cup semi-final on Friday night at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.

A 47th minute Gregory Richardson goal gave the Eastern Lions victory against a game Jabloteh, who pressed the action despite being reduced to ten players following the 31st minute dismissal of striker Jerol Forbes.

Griffith said that after playing the Montreal Impact in very cold conditions in Canada on Wednesday night in the CONCACAF Champions League, Joe Public had to travel all day and arrived ’jet-lagged’ on Thursday night, before playing their Cup semi against Jabloteh a day later.

Next on their schedule is a Champions League home game on Wednesday, with the Cup final scheduled for Friday.

The coach added that Joe Public were representing both Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean when playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and begged the authorities’ understanding.

Some of his players, he said, needed a rest after recently playing a series of matches with the T&T and Jamaica national teams, as well as both in the Pro League and Champions League.

’We will hope that the sponsors and the Pro League will understand the human side of it and probably give us a few days, because we are playing Olympia (Honduras champions) at home on Wednesday...and we would like to play the Final (First Citizens) on Sunday.’

’When we play on the 24th (FC Olympia) and if we have to play this final (versus W Connection) on the 26th, then on Monday (September 29) we leave for Mexico (to play Atalante). So it is really tough. So we will prefer to have the game put back a few days, not for our favour, but for the human part of the situation.’

Griffith, 64, felt Joe Public’s First Citizens semi-final was both entertaining and exciting, but argued that the better team won.

Indeed, there was little to separate the bitter rivals until Forbes put in a tough tackle on defender Jason Springer near the Joe Public corner flag and was red-carded by referee Austin Perelion.

The ref was also involved in a few other controversial moments. First, he played just 43 minutes in the first half; got in the way and almost set up an equaliser for Jabloteh’s Devon Jamerson; and also disallowed what looked like the equaliser from Jabloteh’s Karlon Murray with about two minutes left.

Despite going a man down early, Jabloteh remained competitive and produced a flurry of chances immediately after Forbes’ dismissal.

Striker Noel Williams had a clear sight on the Joe Public goal, but hit a left-footer over the bar, and soon after Joe Public keeper Alejandro Figueroa made a double save to keep both last season’s top player Marvin Oliver and Williams from scoring.

It was just two minutes into the second half when pacy Guyanese Richardson used a minimum of space to beat keeper Cleon John at the near post with a low shot. Moments later, Richardson’s speed almost set up another after he cut the ball back from the bye-line to Shane Calderon, whose stab sent it too close to John.

Once behind, Jabloteh again created a couple good chances. But Joe Public’s Jamaican striker Roen Nelson had two clear chances after coming on in the second half and really should have killed the game.

Twice Nelson cleared the Jabloteh defenders, but found keeper John too good. And it all might have turned sour for Joe Public had Murray’s goal stood after he forced in Trent Noel’s cross at the back post in the 88th minute.

Some fans argued that Murray forced in the ball with his torso, but the match official ruled he had illegally handled it.