MACK-C PINELANDS, behind a double strike from Peter Stoute, thrashed Shades of Black Station Hill 4-1 and with previous leaders Benfica losing 2-1 to lowly Haynesville in the feature match of a triple-header at the YMCA on Sunday night, now lead the Remy Martin Division 1 Football League on 14 points.

Eden Stars moved into second place on 13 points, the same as Benfica with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Families First St John Sonnets, who remain on eight points.

Stoute, the former Barbados striker, who also played professional soccer in Ireland, scored two first-half goals to push his tally to five in as many matches, as Pinelands took a comfortable 3-0 half-time lead.

He opened the scoring in the 20th minute and after Lionel Paul made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute, Stoute added his second during injury time. Thirty minutes into the second half, Dario Wilson made it 4-0 but goalkeeper Romayne Primus was unable to keep a clean sheet as Kemar Barrow got a consolation goal for Station Hill in the 77th minute.

In the second game, Benfica drew first blood in the 21st minute when an unmarked Rommell Gittens easily headed home a corner after the ball was nodded on inside the area.

But Haynesville, without a victory in five previous games, battled back and got the equaliser in the 28th minute when Richard Dixon converted a penalty following a foul in the area by Benfica's defender Nicholas Alleyne, who was subsequently red-carded late in the second half after receiving a second yellow card.

Haynesville almost took the lead before half-time when a powerful and accurate free-kick from about 35 metres by Malcolm Worrell was spectacularly pushed over the crossbar by Benfica's custodian, Kean Jones. At the other end, Haynesville's goaltender Shane Lewis came up with two brilliant back-to-back reflex saves to deny Rohan Johnson.

Jabar Williams, even though he missed a couple of simple chances in the dying moments, ensured Haynesville got their first victory of the season in the 78th minute when he slipped behind the Benfica defence and hit a one-time shot into the back of the nets after a shot from the right side went wide of the mark.

Forde strikes

In the final match, Anthony Forde opened Eden Stars' account in the 25th minute when he lashed a rebound from a corner before the ball could drop, past goalkeeper Andre Weekes, who had no answer as the ball hit underneath the crossbar and dropped over the line.

Sonnets had a chance to equalise before half-time but Sheldon White hit his shot straight to goalkeeper Tazeio Riley, who made a diving save but was then injured as he was struck by the advancing Jefferson White as he followed through.

On the stroke of half-time, Eden Stars went up 2-0 with a fortuitous goal from Kurt Best, whose tame shot somehow eluded Weekes.

Riley was replaced by Mario Albert in the second half and looked somewhat nervous as Dwight Holder almost scored a delightful chip from about 30 metres, which landed on the crossbar. However, Albert could do nothing about a fantastic shot from Damien Husbands which again scraped the bottom of the crossbar as it crashed into the nets at the far post.