THERE was a sickening, gut-wrenching feeling when W Connection blew a two-goal lead against Honduran champions Real Espana on Wednesday night at Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.

But the Caribbean club champions battled back to win 3-2 and revive their chances of a quarter-final spot in the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League.

Victory moved the T&T Pro League team to second in Group D with seven points and they will advance once Mexican group leaders Pumas UNAM did not lose to Guatemala’s Communicaciones last night.

W Connection got the perfect start through two goals from recently-signed Mexican striker Jose Diaz, who also had the ball in the Real España net in the 26th minute, but was flagged offside.

Once comfortably ahead, W Connection switched to a defensive formation and allowed the Hondurans a way back into the match. And after losing injured goal-scorer Diaz in the 44th minute, W Connection went even more defensive with the introduction of veteran Brazilian defender Jose Luis Seabra for injured goal-scorer Diaz. As the local team fell back in defence, the Hondurans gained plenty possession and fought back.

First, midfielder Douglas Mattoso scored on the stroke of half-time with a low shot from 25 metres. And when T&T national keeper Marvin Phillip errantly kicked the ball straight at Jairo Puerto, the right midfielder found Honduran international Carlos Pavon, who knotted up the match at 2-2 with a back post header in the 57th minute.

Desperately needing a victory to advance, W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier was forced to flip his tactics again, by bringing on Matthew Bartholomew as a second striker alongside Jonathan Fana Frias, who had an off night. And Fevrier’s tactic worked perfectly when Bartholomew supplied the cross which left-footed Seabra put in at the back post in the 65th minute to win the match.

Fevrier then went defensive again in the 78th minute, removing the ineffective Frias and replacing him with Antiguan defensive midfielder Gerrard Williams.

Who would have expected all that drama after Diaz got his two early goals? The 20-year-old Mexican was playing in Hungary before joining W Connection three weeks ago, but a great eye for goal is already making him a crowd favourite.

He had W Connection ahead in the sixth minute when leaving defender Marlon Peña and also beating the dive of España keeper Marcelo Macias with a low left-footer to the far post from atop the penalty area.

Two minutes later, Diaz doubled his tally when turning a cross from Brazilian left-midfielder William De Oliviera in from close up with the outside of his left foot.

But, as W Connection invited unnecessary pressure by falling back, España had a couple of cracks from long-range through right back Nery Medina and Mattoso, before the latter netted a powerful low shot in injury time at the end of the first half.

Pavon, the scorer of most of the goals which helped Honduras qualify for the 2010 World Cup, had only a 25th minute volley to show in the first half. But he made no mistake when the W Connection keeper made a fatal mistake in hitting a poor goal kick to midfielder Jairo Puerto. He wasted no time in swinging the ball to Pavon who planted a header past the unfortunate Phillip. Still, there would be one final twist to the match.

Brazil-born Seabra has given almost ten years to W Connection and represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2005 Caribbean Cup and a friendly that same year against Azerbaijan, before going into retirement. He was coaching one of the club’s youth teams and scoring only against media teams, before being coaxed back into uniform last weekend.

Seabra, who turns 36 in January, has lost some speed but showed that he still can play football when finding Frias with a through ball into the penalty area in the 63rd. Frias delayed a second too long and lost his chance, but when Bartholomew picked out Seabra with a similarly good pass, the veteran showed that his sweet left foot still knew the direction to the goal.

WEDNESDAY’S CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT:

W Connection 3 (José Díaz 6th, 8th, Jose Seabra 65th) Real España 2 (Douglas Mattoso 45th, Carlos Pavon 57th)

TEAMS:

W Connection FC-21. Marvin Phillip; 12. Romauld Aguillera, 3.Kern Cupid, 15. Eder Gilmar Aras, 4. Renato Pereira; 33. Cristian Viveros, 17. Hughton Hector, 8. León Clyde, 2.William Oliveria (33. Matthew Bartholemew 63rd); 7. José Díaz (22. Jose Seabra 44th), 10. Jonathan Fana (41. Gerard Williams 78th)

Real España-22. Marcelo Macias; 13. Nery Medina, 14. Carlos Alberto Palacios, 2.Marlon Peña, 27. Erick Vallecillo (Yellow-72nd); 8. Carlinhos (24. Christian. Martinez 46th), 23. Edder Delgado, 7. Elkin González (20. Alfredo Mejía 46th), 6.Jairo Puerto (Yellow-69th) (4. Maynor. Martinez 77th); 11. Douglas Mattoso, 9. Carlos Pavón (Yellow- 67th)

Referee: Trevor Taylor (Barbados).