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Tivoli Gardens return to the top of the Cash Plus Premier League with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Seba United at Jarrett Park yesterday. Discarded national striker Delroy Ellis gave the home team the lead in the 14th minute with his eight goal of the season. But that lead only lasted five minutes as another former national striker Roland Dean, levelled the scores in the 19th minute before Craig Morrison found the winner in the 66th minute. Seba playing with ten men since the 53rd minute after Elvis Scott was shown the red card, could not hold out and succumbed to the relentless pressure from the visitors. Tivoli Gardens, a manger at the moment, moved to 46 points two more than Portmore United while Seba United stayed seventh on 31 points. Tivoli Gardens' coach Glendon "Admiral" Bailey was suspended for four games after receiving a red card in January but has not been seen in action since the ban has been served.
Over at the Ferdie Neita Park, home team Portmore United suffered a surprise 0-2 loss to the surging Boys' Town. Goals by Denzil Watson in the seventh and Renae Lloyd in the 70th gave Boys' Town their ninth win as they consolidate fourth spot. The Red Brigade have won their third straight game and their fifth in their last six games to be genuine title contenders. The Andrew Price-coached outfit from Trench Town are on 38 points the same as Waterhouse FC. Portmore, which started the day a point on top, were slumping to only their fifth defeat of the season and are now two points adrift of the leader on 44 points. With eight of Portmore's players set to leave the island for Brazil on a three weeks training camp with the local Reggae Boyz, it could get a lot tougher for the former champions.
Meanwhile the improving Arnett Gardens were held to a 1-1 draw by arch-rival Waterhouse at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex. The rejuvenated Cornel Chin-sue who has been playing some attractive football from midfield, opened the scoring in the 13th minute for his first goal of the season. But the hard-kicking wing back Garfield Reid easily converted from the spot in the 27th minute as Waterhouse grabbed a share of the points. The Wayne Fairclough-coached outfit from Drewsland, have not won in five games but remain in third position on 38 points, eight points off the leader. For Arnett Gardens, it is a league-high 14th drawn game from 25 games and they stayed in eight spot on 29 points. The Junglist remained unbeaten in eight games since Jerome Waite took control in early January. It is also Arnett's ninth 1-1 draw for the season and their ninth draw at home.
Champion Harbour View continued their poor showing with a disappointed 1-2 defeat to Village United at the Compound. Captain Troy Smith playing at left back, opened the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute after Fabian Dawkin's cross was handled in the box by Jermaine Taylor. Referee Lewin Purser had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and Smith calmly fired home to silence the home fans. Taylor was to make amends powerfully heading home a Jermaine Hue corner kick in the 33rd minute. But Village were not to be denied and the ever dangerous Dawkins latched onto a long ball and with three defenders hounding him and with support, he found space to fire a torrid shot that goalkeeper Dwayne Miller could only parry into the goal. It was a killer strike in the 70th minute and hit the wind out of Harbour View.
The Paul Tegat" Davis-coached Village from Trelawny, was securing their sixth win of the season and what an important one it was in their relegation battle. Village, although remaining in 11th spot in the 12-team league on 26 points, are levelled with 10th-placed Reno. Harbour View have not won a game in their last seven outings and are struggling in fifth spot on 34 points. The Clarendon-based Sporting Central Academy utilised their home advantage to thrash Reno FC 5-2 at Brancourt. Sporting, coming off a heavy 0-4 defeat to Arnett Gardens on Wednesday, scored their first win in five outings. The wily Hughan Gray scored twice in the 33rd and 82nd minutes while Shauntel Mundle (14th), Ian Palmer (40th) and Greg Gardner (85th) completed the rout. Fabian Blake in the 24th and Nicholy Finlayson in the 84th replied for Reno. Sporting Central moved to 29 points but stayed in ninth spot while Reno remained in 10th on 26 points and are now in a dog fight to stay in the league.
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