Defending champions Cavalier got the new Jamaica Premier League season underway with a win against Arnett Gardens FC in an enthralling encounter at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence in Kingston.
Central defender, Jamoi Topey, gave Cavalier the lead in the 60th minute before Chavany Willis got an equaliser that he thought would salvage a draw in the 96th minute.
Cavalier forward Shaniel Thomas had other ideas as he slotted home a right-footed effort in the 97th minute to secure a win and three points for the two-time champions.
The second match on Sunday was also an exciting one between four-time champions Waterhouse FC and Montego Bay United, who have also won the title four times.
Montego Bay United took the lead in the 57th minute through Giovanni Reid before Waterhouse equalised in the 72nd minute through an Andre Fletcher penalty.
Waterhouse completed the comeback in the 81st minute through a goal from Devroy Grey. The action then shifted to Monday, January 17 with two more matches.
Dunbeholden FC and Vere United FC contested the first game with Dunbeholden securing a 2-1 victory.
They took the lead in the eighth minute through an excellent header from Atapharoy Bygrave before Lampard Neil tied things up for Vere in the 57th minute.
Substitute Jahmiel Hardware secured the three points for Dunbeholden with a well-placed free kick in the 92nd minute.
In the second match, goals from Warner Brown in the 42nd minute and Shai Smith in the 87th minute ensured that five-time winners Tivoli Gardens FC and seven-time winners Portmore United FC played out a 1-1 draw.
On Tuesday, four-time champions Harbour View FC and Molynes United FC played out a 2-2 draw thanks to double strikes from Trayvon Reid and Nicholas Nelson.
Nelson gave Molynes United the lead in the 42nd minute before Reid made it 1-1 in the 45th minute.
The 58th minute saw Nelson get his second to give Molynes United a 2-1 lead before Reid once again equalized in the 90th minute to ensure the points were shared.
In the second game on the day, goals from Daniel Green in the 14th and 43rd minutes, as well as strikes from Allan Ottey in the 17th, Ricardo Morris in the 45th, and Donovan Segree in the 90th helped Mount Pleasant FA secure the biggest win of the round, a 5-1 rout of Humble Lion FC.
Cory Hylton got Humble Lion’s consolation goal in the 83rd minute.
The second round of matches kicks off on Saturday.
Arnett Gardens stunned champions Portmore United with an exciting come-from-behind 3-1 win in their Jamaica Premier League (JLP) encounter at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Monday.
Earl Simpson scored an own goal that gave Portmore United a 17th-minute lead but Man of the Match Donovan Segree and Jonoy Cunningham scored in the 19th and 27th minutes, respectively to put Arnett Gardens 2-1 before substitute Shadane Lopez sealed the victory in the 88th minute.
Simpson bundled in a Chavany Willis free-kick that gave Portmore the lead but Arnett responded in style. Segree fed Cunningham with a beautiful pass and the defender-turned-forward pulled Arnett level.
Segree was just getting started. He scored one of the goals of the season, a free-kick that curled into the top right-hand corner, giving goalkeeper Kemar Foster no chance. He later released Lopez, who fired low and hard past Foster to secure the stunning win for Arnett Gardens that saw them climb off the bottom of the table into ninth spot on seven points. The ‘Junglists’ are now just two points adrift of the last playoff spot held currently by Tivoli Gardens on nine points.
Portmore United, meantime, missed out on going top of the league and a place in the playoffs. The loss means that remain in second on 13 points from eight games after suffering their third defeat of the season.
Portmore United FC continued their impressive run in the Jamaica Premier League on Sunday, defeating Humble Lion 3-0 at the UWI/JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.
Portmore United F.C. emerged as 3-1 winners against Tivoli Gardens in the final fixture of match-week four of the Jamaica Premier League at the UWI/JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at the UWI, Mona campus today.
With the last kick of the game, Damano Solomon gave Portmore United a 1-0 win over Molynes United in the first Jamaica Premier League at the Stadium East field on Saturday.
Solomon latched onto a free-kick by Ricardo Morris six minutes into stoppage time and snatched victory in a game that seemed destined for a draw. It was a heartbreaking loss for a Molynes United team whose spirited display deserved a share of the points.
In the end, Portmore United secured their second win from three games and jumped to the top of the league with six points in the first match of the third round.
Molynes United remained in eighth on one point from two games.
Winning coach Ricardo Gardner was more than happy to take all three points.
“Football is like this sometimes. We would love to have put our chances away but, unfortunately, it wasn’t like that,” he said.
“I think our keeper made a very good save to keep us in the game. We left ourselves a little bit too open at times and gave our opponents (the chance) to go through on our keeper but we just have to improve on this.”
Molynes United’s coach Calvert Fitzgerald said the manner of the loss was disappointing.
“It’s a heartbreaker because we lost with the last kick of the game,” he said. “I thought Portmore played well, we countered and with the ebb and flow of the game, if I had gotten a point I would have been satisfied,” he said.
Portmore United created many opportunities but was thwarted by outstanding goalkeeping by Roje Williams and poor finishing.
In the 17th minute, Shante James whipped in a vicious shot that goalkeeper Williams blocked. A mad scramble ensued inside the box a Portmore United attacker committed a foul that ended any goalscoring opportunity.
As Portmore continued to dominate, Demario Phillips long-range free-kick took a deflection that forced goalkeeper Williams to save low to his left after initially going to his right.
A minute later, Portmore’s captain Ricardo Morris was on the end of a defence-splitting pass but smashed the ball into the side netting with his weaker right foot. Morris kicked over the bar in minute 30.
The lively Demario Phillips unleashed a powerful shot at goal that was parried for a corner, and from the resulting kick, Phillips teed up Seigle Knight, who crashed his shot onto the crossbar in the 40th minute. Molynes goalkeeper Williams would again come to the rescue of his team in true sweeper-keeper fashion, racing off his line to nullify Javick McFarlane, who was clean through on goal.
Morris would later kick high with Williams badly out of position.
Molynes United came out firing in the second half and former National Under-20 striker Nicholas Nelson, was through on goal on a couple of occasions, but good goalkeeping by Kemar Foster negated his chances.
In minute 52, Portmore came close to opening the scoring when Revaldo Mitchell slotted past the onrushing Williams but the ball was cleared off the line by Damion Thomas.
In the 65th minute, Nelson latched onto a ball over the top but Foster advanced to block with his feet. Then Foster again saved well to his left with another fantastic effort from Nelson.
Another good build-up play by Molynes involving three players was thwarted by a last-ditch tackle.
Portmore United’s Alvinus Myers was named Man of the Match.
Defending Jamaica Premier League champions Portmore United kick-started their campaign with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Dunbeholden FC at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at the University of the West Indies.
A deflected free-kick by Ricardo Morris in the 37th and a wonder strike by Emelio Rousseau in the 78th minute gave Portmore United a comfortable win in their St Catherine derby, over the upcoming Dunbeholden.
With a number of transfers between both clubs, with players going either way, this match-up was always expected to be an intriguing one and it did not disappoint.
Dunbeholden, clad in blue tops and white shorts, came out flying as Kimoni Bailey latched onto a raking diagonal pass but his rasping shot flew just high.
Portmore responded immediately. Left-back Omar Reid unleashed a menacing shot that goalkeeper Damian Hyatt managed to punch away. As the play swung from end-to-end, Dunbeholden’s new signing Mark Miller, formerly of Waterhouse FC, saw his free-kick turned around the post by Portmore’s custodian Kemar Foster for a corner.
It came to national player Ricardo Morris to find the breakthrough in the 37th minute after he was fouled just outside the box. He picked himself up, brushed himself off and fired a left-footed free-kick that took a wicked deflection off the back of defender Shaquille Dyer and wrong-footing Damion Hyatt in goal.
Dunbeholden never wilted and got a look in as former Portmore United player Rondee Smith teed up the energetic Bailey who shot wide. Smith also got a chance but his weak shot was easily saved.
With Dunbeholden searching for that equalizing goal, Portmore struck again in the 78th minute courtesy of a wonder strike by left-back Emelio Rousseau.
A free-kick was rolled into his path and from 35 metres, the former St George’s College player unleashed a powerful shot that comprehensively beat Hyatt.
To their credit, Dunbeholden continued to fight. They fought hard to the end with substitute Johann Weatherley getting two half chances to reduce the deficit.
With the win, Portmore United are now joint top of the league, which pleased Head Coach Ricardo Gardner.
“We wanted to function on what we did in training and we saw some of that today. It’s nice to get three points in tough conditions and they went out there and put their best foot forward,” said Gardner.
Dunbeholden’s assistant coach Ricardo Smith said his team may have blundered tactically.
“Tactically, we got it wrong and we are not blaming the players but tactically that’s the main part of it. So we just have to go back to the drawing board and come again,” he said.
Jamaican players Lamar Walker and Jashaun Anglin have been signed by Miami FC in the United Soccer League, the club announced today.
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