Arnett Gardens continued their dazzling run of form in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League with a commanding 4-0 victory over Molynes United at the Waterhouse Mini Stadium in Drewsland on Monday.

Fabian Reid (2nd), Kimani Arbouine (38th), as well as Rushane Thompson (76th) and Rushike Kelson (86th)—both returning from injury—did the damage in the win, which not only again showcased the “Junglists’” attacking prowess but also lifted them back into second place with 65 points. Molynes United remain in 12th with 28 points.

While the win extended their unbeaten run across 12 matches, head coach Xavier Gilbert was again left dissatisfied with his team’s overall execution.

“Again, I am a little bit disappointed; I thought we should have exercised more control, especially in the first half. Going ahead, at times we were all over the place, which is not what we wanted, but it was good enough to get the win, and I am happy for that.

“We wanted to do things a lot better than we did, but sometimes you never can tell how the guys will execute. But I am happy that we won, which is the most important thing, and there are some positives that we want to continue to manage as we go down the stretch,” Gilbert said post-game.

From the opening whistle, Arnett Gardens meant business, and it took just two minutes to make their intentions clear. Veteran striker Fabian Reid pounced on a long pass from Joel Jones and lobbed a delicate left-footer over St Lucian Darren Donaie in goal for Molynes United.

Molynes United tried to respond but struggled to carve out meaningful chances. Their attacking movements often fizzled out in the final third, and when they did get into dangerous areas, the finishing left much to be desired.

Meanwhile, Arnett Gardens continued to pile on the pressure, as they probed Molynes United’s defence with quick passing and off-the-ball runs.

The pressure paid off again when Arbouine utilised the space from over 30 yards to unleash a speculative long-range effort. It seemed a routine save for Donaie, but in a moment he will want to forget, the ball slipped through his legs and rolled over the line, as Arnett secured a 2-0 cushion at the break.

Arnett Gardens maintained their intensity on the resumption and again went close just seconds later as Arbouine whipped in a cross that was almost turned into his own net by Molynes defender Sergeni Frankson, only for substitute goalkeeper Carlos Robinson to make a smart save.

Molynes United had their chances to claw their way back. In the 54th minute, Rashawn Livingston found himself unmarked inside the 18-yard box but blazed his effort high and wide, much to the frustration of the Molynes bench.

Arnett Gardens responded almost immediately with Kelson cutting back to Jaheim Thomas in the box, but Thomas could not keep his right-footed shot down.

Molynes United’s best chance came in the 74th minute when Peter McGregor broke through on goal, only to scuff his shot wide in a one-on-one situation with Arnett’s goalkeeper Roje Williams. That missed opportunity proved costly as Arnett Gardens put the game to bed just two minutes later.

Returning from injury, Thompson announced his comeback in style, as he fired a low, driven right-footer from distance that zipped along the turf and past Robinson.

Not content to sit back, Arnett Gardens added a fourth, as Kelson, also making his return from injury, danced through two defenders before curling a left-footed shot past Robinson, who dived full stretch but could not keep it out.

Giovanni Taylor also went close in the latter stages for the “Junglists,” but his effort was bravely blocked by Frankson a minute from time.

With the regular season now approaching its end, Molynes United’s head coach, Jermaine Thomas, knows they will need to regroup quickly to avoid being dragged further down the table.

“We conceded two very bad goals, but we came back in the second half, and I thought we gave a much better account of ourselves. We created the better opportunities, and those goals that we are missing are really elementary stuff, missing from inside the 18-yard box with no pressure whatsoever, and it makes it frustrating and difficult, and we definitely need to have some serious conversations with the people leading the front line,” Thomas noted.