A well-taken hat-trick by teenager Cleo Clarke assisted Humble Lion FC to a handsome 6-0 win over already relegated Lime Hall Academy in a lopsided Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL) contest at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday. 

Clarke, a former Garvey Maceo stalwart, struck in the 28th, 43rd and 45th minutes, as his first hat-trick at the senior level laid the platform for the victory, which was completed by Andre Clennon (65th), Tajay McCarthy (84th) and Chandol Anderson (89th).

In truth, the scoreline should have been much wider had Humble Lion's forwards been more composed in the final third, as Lime Hall Academy offered very little resistance defensively and nothing whatsoever on the attacking front.

With the win, the Clarendon-based Humble Lion jumped to 10th on 25 points, while the St Ann-based Lime Hall Academy remain rooted at the foot of the 14-team standing on seven points with their relegation fate already sealed.

Humble Lion's Head coach Linval Wilson, who recently took over from Vassell Reynolds, praised the effort of the younger players in particular.

"We basically played a number of youngsters and I thought we played some quality football this evening, we should have had some more goals but that is a part of the game. We got six and we are grateful. We are really on a rebuilding process, and I have to give credit to the players that were actually there before, they harnessed a lot of young quality players and that's what we really needed at Humble Lion, and I think come next season, we will be competing for the championship," Wilson said in a post-match interview.

Having started purposefully against a lethargic Lime Hall outfit, it was only a matter of time before Humble Lion broke the deadlock, which they did a little before the half-hour mark. Clarke won possession and waltzed his way past the last defender before firing past Jahiem Williams in goal for Lime Hall.

Humble Lion continued to apply pressure and inevitably doubled the lead in the 43rd when Clarke pounced on a loose ball and drove home a left-footer past the hapless Williams, who barely attempted to make a save.

They almost had a third two minutes later, but James Thomas's right-footed effort from outside box off, came back off the upright.

However, Thomas turned provider seconds later, as he played Clarke through and the 19-year-old striker completed his hat-trick when he made space for a left-footer that rolled past Williams, who made a meal of what should have been an easy gather. 

Humble Lion picked up where they left off on the resumption and almost added to their tally 10 minutes in, but Williams produced a rare save when he pushed Fabian Pascoe's effort from a distance unto the crossbar.

Still, Humble Lion found a fourth 10 minutes later through Clennon, who fired home from close range after substitute Kareem Bryan player a pass across the face of goal.

Humble Lion went close in the 75th, but Lime Hall's defenders, with a rare show of defiance, threw their bodies on the line to deny their opponents a fifth at that point.

McCarthy eventually found Humble Lion's fifth when he slipped by defender and calmly slotted home, before Anderson completed the score –which is the hallmark of a popular recreational activity – when he converted from an angle.

Though disappointed, Lime Hall's Head coach Oshane Allen, who suited up for his team, is optimistic that they can end their failed top-flight outing on a high.

"It's another tough loss but we have to just take it as it is. The aim is just to try to get maximum points from the remaining games, even if it is just to finish ahead of Treasure Beach," Allen noted.

After a 6-0 aggregate beating from Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Cincinnati in Concacaf Champions Cup play, Rudolph Speid and his Cavalier unit would have hoped for better fortunes on return to the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL).

While they did well to come from behind in a 1-1 stalemate with Humble Lion, the outcome was by no means pleasing to Speid, who felt they were undone by poor officiating in the lukewarm contest at Stadium East field on Monday.

With the score tied in the dying moments of the game, after Andre Clennon (56^th) fired Humble Lion in front, and Jalmaro Calvin (72^nd) responded for Cavalier, Jeovanni Laing thought he had the winner for Speid’s side, but the goal was disallowed by referee Andre Farquharson.

This, as there was some contact between Laing and Humble Lion’s goalkeeper Shamal Briscoe in a challenge for possession leading up to the goal. However, replay showed that Laing got to the ball well ahead of the advancing Briscoe, who through momentum, then collided with the attacker’s trailing leg on his way towards goal.

The call left Speid fuming, as it denied his team two points which would have pushed them back to the summit of the league, albeit on goal difference. Instead, they remain second on 44 points, two behind reigning champions Mount Pleasant FA (46 points), but with a game in hand.

“There was another call for a penalty that we didn't get, and then that was a clean goal. These are not easy things to miss. It is the most difficult thing for you make a call like that wrong. I mean after we spend millions of dollars to play football, we are supposed to win our game, if we get to win our game. Frankly, I think we won the game, except for that blatant call that has no place in football,” Speid argued.

Cavalier earlier dominated proceedings, and squandered numerous chances, in a goalless first half, much to Speid’s disappointment.

It was almost like rubbing salt in a wound when Clennon put Humble Lion in front 11 minutes into the resumption, as he fired home from close range, after Cavalier failed to clear their lines from Xavian Virgo’s freekick.

Cavalier later bossed possession in their press for the equalizer, which eventually came in the 72nd when Calvin glanced a perfectly weighted cross from Laing into the far corner of the goal for his 10^th of the season.

Speid’s side maintained the momentum from there, and thought they had the winner in time added, but for the controversial call.

“I am not happy with the performance because we got a lot of opportunities, especially in the first half that we could have done better with. But again, it was just a difficult game to play, every time we challenged, it was a call, so it was just difficult for us to play this game,” Speid said.

“It is very important that we maintain it (our challenge for the top spot), but if we get games like this, we don't know what's going to happen because I didn't think this was a fair result,” he added.

Humble Lion’s Head coach Vassell Reynolds found more positives in the result, especially with his Clarendon-based team fighting to stay above the relegation zone.

They are currently in 12th position on 19 points, seven points ahead of Treasure Beach (12 points), who occupies the drop zone with the other promoted team Lime Hall Academy (seven points).

“Many people thought that we would have come here and get a beating, but I thought the guys played gallantly and I think we deserve at least a point from the game,” Reynolds said.

“We want to move away from this, from this dreaded zone just to prevent us looking over our shoulder when we are playing, and also, so that we can go out and play with a little bit more confidence. So, a few more points in the upcoming games and we should be fine,” he noted.