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NPL Round #11 Wrap-up PREMIDICTOR 09/12/2007 Portmore Ricardo Cousins five in a row |
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Tivoli Gardens jumped from fifth to second place and into the Cash Plus End-Of-Round after clipping St George’s FC 3-2 at the Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday.
Tivoli Gardens, started the day on 15 points, but defeats to second and third-placed Seba United and St George’s and a draw by fourth-placed Harbour View, will see them playing Portmore United in the December 16 final.
Three goals in 12 minutes by Jermaine Taylor (49th), Roberto Fletcher (51st) and national player Christopher Jackson (61st) pushed Tivoli Gardens to an exciting victory.
Damion Harwood had opened the scoring for the visiting St George’s in the 26th minute but then they fell behind to two quick strikes from Tivoli Gardens in two minutes before Richardo Watson levelled the scores in the 58th minute.
Tivoli was not to be denied and Jackson found the winner in an intriguing contest.
Tivoli with their fifth win of the season finish the first round on 18 points, six behind runaway leaders Portmore United on 24.
St George’s FC which started the day in third position drop to sixth on 15 points and good showing for one of two promoted teams.
Over at the STETHS Sports Complex, leaders Portmore United registered another win, this time edging Reno FC 2-1 and in the process, increased their lead atop the standing to six points.
Home team Reno opened the scoring in the 61st minute from the boots of Ricardo Scott for his fifth goal of the campaign.
But the Portmore hit in the 63rd and 71st minute through national players Wolry Wolfe and Ricardo Cousins.
Cousins, the national Under-20 captain, who has being finding the winner goal of late, was registering his fifth goal of the season. Only on Wednesday he found the clincher against Seba United in the dying minute.
Portmore moves to 24 points six clear of nearest rival Tivoli Gardens on 18 has already taken a stranglehold on the 12-team league.
Former champion Waterhouse FC climbed from seventh to fourth place on 16 points after whipping August Town 3-1 at Drewsland.
The visiting August Town shocked the home fans in the seventh minute when Daniel Shaw scored a 35 metres free kick that somehow got by Richard McCallum in goal.
But the Waterhouse responded beautifully and the wily Damian Williams levelled the score three minutes later in the ninth minute before further goals by Andre Hickling in the 35th and Kevin Lamey in the 82nd sealed the victory.
For August Town, it must be worrying as early as it seems after they suffered their sixth defeat from 11 games to be second from bottom on nine points.
At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, defending champion Harbour View had to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Arnett Gardens.
Leon Strickland outpaced Christopher Harvey before slotting home to give the home team the lead in the 54th minute but national striker Fabian Taylor found the equalizer in the 84th for a share of the points.
Harbour View are fifth on 16 points after picking up just one win from their last five games, including defeats to Portmore, Seba and Boys’ Town, after claiming the Caribbean Club championship.
Arnett Gardens, which has found goal scoring very difficult to come by, were drawing their league high eighth game from 11 games and are seventh on 14 points.
Meanwhile at the beautiful Brancourt in Clarendon, home team Sporting Central dashed Seba United's hope of making the First End-of-Round final, winning 2-1 in an exciting encounter.
Seba, which started the day in second position on 16 points, needed only a win to advance to the final against Portmore United on December 16.
But two early goals by Hughan Gray in the sixth minute and Greg Gardner in the 12th, kept Sporting Central’s six-game unbeaten home record intact.
Substitute Daniel Ricketts pulled one back for Seba in the 80th minute, but it turned out to be a case of too little, too late.
It was Sporting Central’s third win of the season — all coming at home from six home games. The Clarendon-based team moves to 14 points to be in ninth position.
Seba United have won just once in their last five games losing to Arnett Gardens 0-1 beat Harbour View 2-0 before losing to Reno, Portmore United and Sporting Central all by 1-2 margins. the Montego Bay-based outfit remains on 16 point but slips to third position.
At Collie Smith Drive, home team Boys’ Town had to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with the struggling Village United.
Lacon Brisset stunned the Red Brigade in the seventh minute ghosting in at the back post to score from a Rohan Reid cross.
But 10 minutes later veteran striker Oneil McDonald headed home from Michael Campbell’s left-sided corner to level the score.
Boys’ Town remain in eight position on 14 points while the Trelawny-based Village -- the only team without a win – remain rooted to the bottom of the league on five points.