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Boys’ Town threw the Digicel Premier League
wide-open whipping leaders Portmore United 3-1 while the
relegation battle intensifies.
Boys’ Town coming off a four-game winless streak,
stopped Portmore in their tracks at Collie Smith Drive, setting
the tone for an intriguing climax to the premier league with two
sets of games remaining.
Only last week Sunday Portmore enjoyed an
eight-point lead now it’s down to two points after second-placed
Tivoli Gardens clipped Waterhouse FC 1-0.
It was Portmore United which drew first blood
when former Kingston College Manning Cupper Mario Swaby headed
home in the 15th minute.
George Vernal levelled the score in the 24th
minute with a ferocious 30 meters shot that would have
decapitated goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers had he seen and made an
attempt at it.
The former Camperdown High student, Vernal was
notching his 10th goal of the season and this one certainly adds
to his list of spectacular goals.
Captain Michael Campbell gave the home team the
lead in the 47th minute slotting home an Asrick Samuels cross
before Tyrone Sawyer scored an own goal turning one past his
brother in the 60th minute.
Portmore United which was suffering their second
consecutive loss, remained out front with 70 points while Boys’
Town stayed fourth with 57 points.
Meanwhile, simultaneously at Drewsland, Tivoli
Gardens edged Waterhouse 1-0 courtesy of a Roland Dean strike in
the 72nd minute.
It was his 19th goal of the season and he
remained atop of the goalscoring chart with Rivoli United’s
Devon Hodges.
Only a week ago Tivoli Gardens were trailing
Portmore by eight points but following their remarkable run of
six consecutive wins, the Lenworth Hyde coached boys are two
points behind on 68th points.
The west Kingston outfit have defeated Portmore
2-0, Sporting Central Academy 2-1, Harbour View 2-0 and Boys’
Town twice 4-0 and 3-2 in recent weeks.
If momentum is any thing to go by, Tivoli could
be champions as they play Portmore United on Wednesday at the
Ferdie Neita Park in a possible title decider.
Waterhouse which was suffering their third
straight loss remained sixth on 46 points and cannot surpass
fifth-placed Arnett Gardens with two games remaining.
At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, Harbour
View came from behind to cool the red hot Arnett Gardens 2-1
while giving themselves a glimmer of hope in the title race.
Harbour View with 65 points are three behind
second-placed Tivoli Gardens and five behind leader Portmore
United with two games remaining.
Harbour View have Boys’ Town on Wednesday and
Portmore on Sunday and can reach a maximum 71 points. If
Portmore lose to Tivoli and Tivoli lose to Arnett, then both
Harbour View and Tivoli would end on 71 points with Portmore a
point behind.
Former Harbour View player Kevin King gave Arnett
Gardens the lead in the third minute for his second consecutive
goal following the one against Portmore on Wednesday.
In return, former Arnett Gardens striker
Marcelino Blackburn levelled the score for Harbour View in the
24th before Andre “Bullethead” Fagan, formerly of Norman Manley,
found the winner in the 36th minute for Harbour View.
It was Harbour View’s first win in eight games
and coach Donovan Hayles must be cursing his luck, saying what
if?
Arnett Gardens which was losing for the first
time in 11 outings, saw their chance to finish in the top four
dented and remained on 53 points, now four behind Boys’ Town.
The relegation dog-fight intensified when bottom
team Reno FC scored a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Sporting
Central Academy at Frome.
Falling two goals down after Karl Wiggan and
Hughan Gray gave Sporting a two-goal cushion in the third and
seventh minutes, Reno responded like champions.
Gary McIntosh grabbed his first of two goals in
the 10th minute and found the winner in the 87th minute after
Nicholy Findlayson equalized two minutes earlier.
McIntosh, who was joint top scorer in the Flow
All-Island Champions Cup, was netting his 11th goals to move to
eighth on the goal-scoring chart.
Reno with their second win in their last three
games closed to 32 points just two behind Village and three
behind 10th-placed Meadhaven on 35 points.
Reno has the two teams closest them to play in
Village United on Wednesday and Meadhaven on Sunday.
Clarendon-based Sporting remained in ninth on 37
points and are far from safety with two game remaining and
cannot take any thing for granted.
At the Spanish Town Prison Oval, the visiting
Village United earned a crucial point holding Rivoli United to a
1-1 draw.
Devon Hodges, the league’s joint top scorer
notched his 19th in the 36th minute before Troy Smith tied the
score from the spot in the 44th minute.
While Rivoli United might not be disappointed
with a share of the points, Village might be cursing their luck
and could have put tremendous pressure on the teams above them
with a win.
Village fighting to keep a team from the western
Jamaica in top-flight football, inched to 34 points but hold the
last relegation spot.
St Catherine-based Rivoli moved to 42 points and
stayed in eighth-place and safe from relegation.
Over at the Constant Spring Field, home team
Meadhaven United also dropped crucial points battling to a 1-1
draw with St George’s FC.
Shawn Hunter headed Meadhaven in the lead in the
75th minute and was looking good for three points until Daniel
Shaw stepped up scored from a free kick.
Shaw who was notching his 11th goal from
midfield, equalized with four minutes remaining to sink the
hearts of the Meadhaven faithful.
St George’s which lost back-to-back games to both
relegation strugglers Reno and Village, was in no mood to give
away points today.
They moved to 43 points in seventh spot while
Meadhaven remained just one point above the relegation zone on
35 points.
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