NPL Round #31 Wrap-Up

By  reporter@premidictor.net

Sunday, April 07th , 2008

 

Portmore United two point clear

 

 

 

 Portmore United extend their lead atop the Cash Plus Premier League to two points after holding champion Harbour View to a 1-1 draw and saw Tivoli Gardens slumped to a 1-2 defeat to Boys' Town.

At the Compound, the wily Kavin Bryan gave the home team Harbour View the lead in the 63rd minute after latching onto a Jermaine Hue through ball.

Harbour View, the Caribbean Club champions, thought they had secured an important win but that was not to be.

The man of the moment, Reon Nelson, did what he has been doing since returning to the Portmore team in January.

The stockily built forward scored a typical poucher's goal after tapping in from close range in the 90th minute.

In was his table topping 15th goal of the season and what an important goal it was. It effectively killed off Harbour View's title challenge and gave the advantage to Portmore atop the league.

Portmore inched to 58 points from 31 games and with seven games remaining, are favourites to lift their second title in four years.

Harbour View stayed fourth on 44 points, 14 behind Portmore United and must by now throw in the towel.

 

 Meanwhile at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex, the visiting Boys' Town dented Tivoli Gardens title hope with a 2-1 win.

Last season's Most Valuable Player, George Vernal, struck two telling blows in two minutes in the 51st ad 52nd minutes.

Vernal opened the scoring with his trademark powerful freekick the whistled past goalkeeper Damion Crooks.

Then before the celebration had settled, he popped up to slide home after the Crooks failed to gather properly.

The hard working Kevin Blackford pulled one back for Tivoli in the 63rd minute but Boys' Town held on for a crucial win.

Tivoli Gardens stayed in second place on 56 points while third-placed Boys' Town moved to 47 points but still has some work to do.

 

 It took a stoppage time goal from Jonathan Williams to earn a 1-1 draw for Waterhouse against St George's FC at Drewsland.

Denroy Dennis gave the Portland team the lead in the 49th minute and it seemed good enough to provide St George's with only their second away win of the season.

But in time added on, Williams netted for a share of the points and save Waterhouse's blushes.

The Wayne Fairclough-coached team have are also out of the title race after making a surging run in the second round of games to be among the leaders.

However, thing have turned for the worse and they now occupies fifth place on 43 points and must be planning for next year.

St George's in the first season back in the top flight, are in ninth spot on 36 points in a very competitive mid table in which eight points separate the sixth-placed team from the bottom.

 

 Over at STETH, home team Reno led early but had to wait until the dying moments to salvage a point against August Town in the battle of two relegation teams.

Ricardo Scott opened the scoring in the 65th minute for Reno but the red hot Mitchily Waul levelled the score in the 71st minute for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Jermaine Simpson then put August Town in front four minutes later but Nicholy Finlayson scored in the 90th minute for a share of the points.

Reno of Westmoreland are on 32 points in 10th spot, just two above bottom placed August Town on 30 with seven games left.

 

Former two-time champion Arnett Gardens continue to struggle with a 1-1 draw against Seba United at the Anthony Spaulding Sports complex.

Former national striker Onandi Lowe taped home in the 36th minute but for the fourth time on Sunday, a goal in the 90th minute was scored. Edward Campbell levelled the score for the MoBay outfit Seba United.

Arnett remained second from bottom on 32 points while Seba stayed eighth on 36 points, not far above the relegation zone.

 

At Brancourt in Clarendon, home team Sporting Central Academy and Village United battled to an exciting 0-0 draw. Sporting dominated but could not break down Village's stubborn defence and had to settle for a share of the points. Village the form team in the third round, remains the only team not to have lost from nine games garnering 19 points.

The Trelawny-based team has climbed out of the relegation zone after occupying cellar spot for the first two rounds. They are on 38 points in seventh spot while Sporting Central remained in sixth also on 38 points in a tight middle table.