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NPL Round #9 Wrap-up ~ Tivoli Gardens jump to the top PREMIDICTOR 25/11/2007
Tivoli Gardens jumped to the top of the Cash Plus Premier League after beating Boys’ Town 1-0 at the Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday after the completion of round nine. Craig Stewart, who was shot in the stomach last season, scored the winner from a Christopher Jackson’s corner in the 42nd minute to give the home team their fourth win of the season. The orange and black-clad Tivoli Gardens, moved from third to first on 15 points just one ahead of Portmore United with Seba United slipping to third on 13 points. In an ill-tempered game, Boys’ Town had defender Omar Parker red carded in the 71st and coach Andrew Price followed soon after. Parker was ejected after picking up his second yellow card while Price was removed from the technical area for apparently verbally abusing referee Courtney Campbell.
In the clash of the heavyweights, Portmore United got sweet revenge after clipping Harbour View 1-0 at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium. Only last week Harbour View defeated Portmore 2-0 en route in the quarterfinal of the Caribbean Club Championship en route to be crowned champion for the second time in three years. The talented Steven Morrissey found the winner in the 60th minute for the St Catherine-based Portmore, which climbed from fourth into second position on 14 points. Harbour View, which was suffering their first defeat of the season, changed positions with Portmore are currently sitting in fourth place on 12 points.
At the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex, Arnett Gardens scored their first home win of the season and their second overall, with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Seba United. Arnett, playing with 10-men for 38 minutes, found the clincher from Horace Sharpe in the 69th minute. The lanky midfielder ghosted in between two defenders to head home a Gerald Neil cross to send the home fans into a frenzy. But if it wasn’t for some outstanding saves by their goalkeeper Julian McLeish, Arnett could have been two or three down before they got the winner. McLeish, in the 63rd minute, brilliantly parried what look like a certain goal from Delroy Ellis and then three minutes later he threw himself to the right to save a Wilfred Smith penalty kick. The penalty, was asked to be retaken by referee Lewin Purser because of an encroachment in the box, but McLeish was at it again, this time he dived to his left to save the penalty kick for the second time from Smith. Arnett moved to 12 points from nine games to be in six position on 12 points, just three behind leaders Tivoli Gardens. Seba which started the day in first place, dropped to third on 13 points but has two games in hand on the leader.
Meanwhile, 10-men Reno scored a controversial 1-0 win over August Town at the St Elizabeth Technical grounds in Santa Cruz. The game was held up for about 10 minutes after members of the August Town team, including officials protested the awarding of the goal in the 70th minute. Ricardo Scott's shot from close home was ruled a legitimate goal by referee Garnett Page, but the visiting team protested, claiming the ball actually went through the side netting. Television replays showed that the August Town players were correct, but referee Garnett Page and assistant Malachi Brown stood by their decision much to the anger of the Kingston-based team. The Westmoreland-based Reno moved from 11th place to ninth on 10 points are slowly making steady headway after occupying the bottom two spot for most of the season. Meanwhile the unlucky August Town, which was suffering their fourth loss of the season are 11th on eight points and should be worrying.
Over at Drewsland, St George’s FC held home team Waterhouse to a 1-1 draw to maintain their fifth place on 12 points while Waterhouse slipped further to eighth on 10 points. The Portland-based team had to rally from behind to earn a share of the points as both teams ended the game with 10 men. Waterhouse took the lead in the 21st minute courtesy of Brian Wollaston who slotted home into an empty net from six yards. But St George’s equalized in the 57th minute after national goalkeeper Richard McCallum failed to gather a loose ball, which fell to Denroy Dennis who made no mistake. Both teams were reduced to 10-men in the 65th minute following an altercation between St George’s’ Kanute Harrison and Waterhouse’s Michael Stone.
At Brancourt, Village United, rooted to the bottom of the 12-team league turned in a spirited performance but had to settle for a draw 0-0 with Sporting Central Academy. The Trelawny-based Village are on four points, four behind 11th-placed team August Town and 11 behind leaders Tivoli Gardens after nine rounds. Sporting out of Clarendon, slipped one place to 10th on 10 points after playing only their second home game at Brancourt for the season.
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