Arnett Gardens reignited their charge for a second-place finish in the Jamaica Premier League with a spirited 3-1 victory over already relegated Vere United at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday night.
Having gone five games without a win, the 'Junglists' were under pressure to respond and they did just that with a confident and attacking performance that reminded everyone why they were early title contenders.
Rushike Kelson set the tone with a dazzling solo effort in the 14th minute, and though the final scoreline flattered slightly, it was a deserved three points for the home side. Jaheim Thomas (51st) and substitute Rushane Thompson (74th) added goals in the second half to cancel out a brief fightback from the Brazilian Marcos Roas Filho (48th), who gave Vere United a glimmer of hope just after the break.
The result not only snapped Arnett’s recent winless run but also revived their ambitions of a top-two finish, as they inched up to 70 points, just two shy of Montego Bay United with two matches remaining.
Head coach Xavier Gilbert welcomed the win which he believes will lift the team even further heading into the playoff.
"I don't think we were patient enough and we allowed them space to play with in the midfield and I wasn't pleased with that because its something that we spoke about. But we managed to score and after scoring we lapse a bit but I am happy for the three points because its been a while that we haven't won a game and the team is going to be in good spirit going forward," Gilbert said.
Kelson’s opener came after a mesmerizing run that saw him twice dismiss his marker on the way into the area before unleashing a clinical left-footed finish that left Vere United's goalkeeper Mikhail Harrison rooted.
That turned out to be the lone goal of the first half as both teams created a few half chances on which they failed to capitalise. Vere had the best of them when Tyreek Magee played Robinho Gordon in but Jadavin Waul left his line well to deny the effort.
Vere United, playing only for pride at this stage, continued to showed flickers of resistance on the resumption, particularly when Roas Filho reacted quickest to pull them level after Waul spilled Magee's freekick.
But parity lasted just three minutes. Thomas, a livewire throughout, initiated a slick one-two with veteran Fabian Reid and then calmly slotted past Harrison to restore Arnett’s lead.
Vere United should have pulled level once more in the 70th but captain Matthew Woo Ling missed a golden chance from deep inside the 18-yard box.
That would later haunt them as Arnett continued to carve out opportunities, with Reid and Tarique Jones testing Harrison. The hosts' third goal came when substitute Warner Brown laid off Reid’s floating cross for Thompson to hammer home with authority.
Brown, the league's leading marksman, went close himself in the 86th minute but watched as his stinging left-footer rattled off the underside of the crossbar.
Minutes later, a curling cross from Jones also came off the crossbar in time added.
For Vere United, it was another chapter in a difficult campaign now defined by 24 losses and a last-place standing on 23 points. Still, Head coach Lenworth 'Teacha' Hyde believes the baptism of fired was needed this season so they can rebuild stronger.
"Our defensive lapse have been hurting us all season. We just have to continue working; its a new system to them but I saw some glimpses of fight so maybe its a good thing for us to go down so we can build again. We need to get tougher so they have been baptised this season and we just have to take it from there going forward," Hyde stated.