Portmore United finally broke their winless run in the 2024/25 Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season when they edged Tivoli Gardens in a come-from-behind 2-1 scoreline at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday night.

The victory, secured by a late strike from substitute Javier Brown in the 89th minute, marked the St Catherine-based club’s first taste of success after three games, lifting the weight of early season pressure from their shoulders. 

Junior Grizzelle (45+1) also struck for Portmore United, after 19-year-old Nickalia Fuller gave Tivoli Gardens a 40th-minute lead.

With the win, Portmore United moved up the standings from 13th to 10th, giving their fans and coach Rudolph Austin reason to hope that a revival is on the cards.

“It was a really good performance by the team; they went out there and they executed what we planned throughout the week, so hats off to them. They showed a lot of character when they went down and came back and won the game so that was brilliant. The fight they showed is the Portmore United I know, work hard, play to the end, and win games.

“That is why we won seven championships, so that is what I want my players to always do; go out and express themselves. Even if you make a mistake, keep going. So hopefully this is the start of a successful run for us but one thing I can tell you is that I won’t let up,” Austin declared in a post-game interview.

Romeo Guthrie marshalled Portmore United's midfield.

The former Reggae Boy turned coach also heaped praise on former Arnett Garden stalwart Romeo Guthrie, whose performance—marked by two assists—reinforced the importance of the team’s creative spark.

But the night belonged to former Vere United captain Brown, the unlikely hero who ensured Portmore United ended with three precious points.

“When I used to play against Vere United, he [Brown] was always in our box, so I knew he had that in him, and he was hungry to deliver for us. But I can’t leave out Guthrie; I think he had a very good game... all the guys played well, but I think Guthrie was outstanding,” Austin added.

The match unfolded as a one-sided affair for the most part, as Portmore United dictated the pace and forced Tivoli Gardens back for long spells. In fact, they peppered Tivoli’s goal with 15 shots, 10 of which were on target, displaying a level of control and intent that had been missing in their earlier fixtures.

Grizzelle fired Portmore United’s first warning shot in the third minute that caught Tivoli Gardens’ goalkeeper Diego Haughton off his line, but the effort kissed the crossbar on its way out.

Five minutes later, Jahien Rose also pulled the trigger from a distance, but that shot was tipped over by Haughton diving full stretch.

Tivoli Gardens later settled and went close through Fuller, who drove into the 18-yard box and got off a left-footed effort that was kept out by Daniel Russell in goal for Portmore United.

However, Fuller, a former Excelsior High standout, broke the deadlock on his second attempt, as he released a delightful left-footed strike from a tight angle outside the 18-yard box that had Russell well beaten.

That was all the West Kingston team would get as they only mustered four shots, with Fuller’s efforts the only two on target.

Such was Portmore United’s dominance from that point on as Guthrie stamped his mark on the game. The industrious playmaker, who was at the heart of most of Portmore United’s attacking moves, provided the assist for the equaliser on the stroke of the interval.

He dispossessed a defender deep in Tivoli Gardens quarters and played off a pass for Grizzelle, whose tap in left Haughton rooted to the spot as they went to the break with the score levelled at 1-1.

Junior Grizzelle scored the opener.

But even with the scores level, the momentum never truly shifted away from Portmore after the interval. They pressed forward relentlessly in a sustained attacking spell that forced Tivoli to defend deep and absorb pressure.

Tedj Bryan should have put Portmore United ahead in the 47th when he picked up a poor clearance from Haughton, but his tame effort was kept out by the custodian, who stuck out the right leg. 

They thought they had the breakthrough in the 65th when Okelo Howard played a timely through pass into the final third for Tarick Ximines to finish, but the goal was called back for an offside.

Ximines was at it again in the 75th as he outmuscled a defender on his way towards goal. However, his final effort was denied by Haughton's outstretched right leg.

As the clock ticked down, it seemed the go-ahead goal would elude Portmore United, and they would have to settle for another frustrating draw.

Enter Brown, who replaced Ximines in the attack.

In the dying embers of the match, Guthrie once again turned provider, threading a clever pass into Brown’s path. With a burst of pace and a clinical finish, Brown drove a firm right-footer past the slightly advanced Haughton to send the Portmore bench and fans into frenzy.

Tivoli Gardens Head coach Jerome Waite acknowledged that his team needs to be sharper and more assertive as their defensive effort was found wanting, while their inability to match Portmore United’s intensity was glaring.

“We defeated ourselves because the two goals came from poor defensive errors and Portmore United capitalised on both of them. It is our second game, so we still have a lot of work to do, and at the same time they will have to learn and understand where the system of play is concerned,” Waite said.

Matchweek 3 Results

Harbour View 2, Molynes United 1

Vere United 1, Humble Lion 1

Waterhouse 0, Cavalier 2

Arnett Gardens 1, Racing United 1

Chapelton Maroons 0, Montego Bay United 1

Portmore United 2, Tivoli Gardens 1

Dunbeholden vs Mount Pleasant (Postponed)

It is often said that it is not how you start, but how you finish that counts. Waterhouse, by virtue of their current vein of form in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League, has embodied that saying.

In fact, to say that the Drewsland-based team is rising to the occasion when it matters most would be an understatement, as they recovered from an inconsistent run in the preliminary stage, where they placed sixth, and are now in the semi-final.

Waterhouse confirmed their spot in the final four on Monday after they downed Tivoli Gardens 2-0 in second leg quarterfinal action, for a 3-1 aggregate scoreline, at Sabina Park.

Javane Bryan (14th) and Andre Fletcher (45+6) were on target for Waterhouse, who has booked a semi-final date with reigning champions Mount Pleasant FA. First leg action is scheduled for Sunday at the same venue.

With his side taking a seven-match unbeaten run into that contest, Waterhouse’s assistant coach Damion Gordon is confident, but aware that they will be up against a Mount Pleasant team with great attributes, quality and real individual talent. Waterhouse last made a deep run in the league in the truncated 2021 season, when they lost the final to Cavalier in a penalty shootout.

“I think our chances of winning are just like any other team before the game is played. So, we just have to prepare as best as we can for Mount Pleasant, which is a very difficult team, but again, at this stage of the tournament, you just have to bring your A game and come Sunday I think the better team will win,” Gordon said.

Reflecting on the performance, he lauded the team for character and fight shown on the day.

“We are grateful, we always take a hungry step towards everything and tonight (Monday) we did that. I think we started very well; I still think that we had some more chances that we should have capitalised on, but we are grateful for the win nonetheless. Hats off to Tivoli, I think they really pressed us, and I think they forced us in terms of testing our defensive shape and fortitude which came to the fore,” Gordon noted.

The contest started in a sombre manner, as Tivoli Gardens lost young starlet Nickalia Fuller with what appeared to be a broken right leg, after he went into a tough challenge with Waterhouse’s Shamarie Dallas. The physical and psychological impact of that challenge later took effect on Dallas, who wept openly as he also left the field soon after.

Still, Waterhouse maintained their composure, and later found the lead when Bryan fired home his 16th goal of the season from close range, after sloppy play by Tivoli Gardens captain Odean Pennycooke allowed Revaldo Mitchell through on goal to get off the initial effort that was blocked.

Tivoli Gardens came into their own and tried to play their game, but were unable to make their half chances count, as Alton Lewis fired wide from inside the 18-yard box, in the 28th minute.

Nine minutes later, substitute Lennox Russell, who entered the contest for Fuller, had Tivoli’s best chance of the half, as his well-struck right-footer from an angle, was kept out by Kemar Foster at his near post.

Waterhouse regained their attacking fire at the backend of the half, and found a second in time added, when Leonardo Jibbison’s cross found an unmarked Fletcher, who made no mistakes with a well-taken left-footed finish for his 12th of the season, which put the two-time champions 2-0 up at the break.

Needing a goal to stay in the contest, Tivoli Gardens went straight to work on the resumption and almost pulled one back a minute in, but Russell’s strike was again kept out by Foster.

Waterhouse went close to a third in the 63rd minute, but Denardo Thomas’s powerfully struck effort from inside the 18-yrd box, just went over the crossbar.

From there, it was all Tivoli Gardens, as the West Kingston team launched a series of marauding attacks in a sustained spell of pressure, but they found Waterhouse defence in a defiant mood, as they braved the incursion.

Besides Waterhouse’s resolute defending, Tivoli Gardens were left down by a lack of composure in the final third at times, as Justin Dunn hit the upright in the 70th minute, while Rodico Wellington’s freekick in the 85th minute was again blocked by Foster.

Tivoli Gardens Head coach Jerome Waite cursed his team’s luck on the day, but in the same breath, expressed delight with how the season went.

“The youngster’s leg is broken, which is really sad, and I am not one to bash referees, but we all saw what happened. Besides that, we created chances throughout the second half, but faulty execution resulted in us not scoring, and we also have to give Waterhouse’s goalkeeper credit as well,” he said.

“In the end, Tivoli Gardens had an extremely outstanding season. This is not something that anybody looked forward to, so I have to give the guys credit,” Waite added.

Jerome Waite and Tivoli Gardens continued their vibrant start to the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL) season, as they downed Humble Lions 4-1 in a lopsided encounter at Stadium East Field on Monday.
 
The dynamic duo of Justin Dunn and Howard Morris proved menacing on the day, and both bagged a brace to lift the West Kingston team to a third win in four games so far this season.
 
Dunn continued his rich vein of form with goals in the 2nd and 53rd minutes that took his tally to six, while Morris's goals (45+1 and 88th), moved his tally to three. Interestingly, it was a 29th-minute own-goal by Tivoli's captain Barrington Pryce that turned out to be Humble Lions consolation. 
 
While Humble Lions remain seventh on five points, Tivoli Gardens inched up to third on nine points with 11 goals to their count, and that puts them well on course to surpass last season’s tally off 22 points and 29 goals. 
 
That for Waite was always the objective. 
 
"There is always room for improvement, even though we scored all goals, it could have been more, but poor decision-making and faulty execution let us down. If you know me, I am a very attacking coach and the whole objective is to score goals because goals make the difference in a game, so we just want to continue putting our best foot forward and see where it takes us this season," Waite said in a post-match interview.
 
It was a frantic start to the contest by Tivoli Gardens, who went straight to work from the whistle and quickly broke the deadlock courtesy of a slick one-two combination between Morris and Dunn, as the latter applied the finish past Prince-Daniel Smith from close range.
 
Though tempers flared in the early exchanges, particularly on the part of Humble Lions players, Tivoli Gardens maintained a cool and continued to frustrate the opponents with tidy movements in the attacking third.
 
Morris should have doubled the lead in the 15th minute when he was allowed space and time at the top of the 18-yard box to pull the trigger, but his shot didn't have enough venom to beat Smith.
 
That missed opportunity came back to haunt them 14 minutes later, as Humble Lions pulled level when Pryce turned an intended cross by Fabian Pascoe into his own net.
 
But that was all the Clarendon-based team would get against a dominant Tivoli Gardens outfit that was both brisk and enterprising in their build ups. In fact, Humble Lions struggled with defensive organization throughout, and Tivoli Gardens happily exploited those areas.
 
Another tidy team build up released Dunn in space to play a pass in for Morris, who made no mistakes on that occasion to out the West Kingston team 2-1 up at the break.
 
Tivoli maintained the momentum on the resumption and extended the lead eight minutes in, as Dunn arrived on the end of a delightful through pass from Nickalia Fuller and drove home a left-footer that gave Smith no chance at a save.
 
From there, Waite's side continued to apply consistent pressure to which Humble Lions had no response, and though they were made to wait in their probe for another goal, it inevitably came Two minutes from time.
 
This, when Dunn released another pass inside the danger area and Morris capitalized on the time and space to thump a right-footer past the hapless Smith and cap the win, which left Waite pleased for the most parts.
 
"Depending on the strength of the opposition, once we identify those areas, there are players who will be given a task (to nullify that strength) and all you want them to do is deliver on the day. The team has been doing well so far and it is our hope that the work they do in training will make the difference on game days," Waite said. 
 
His counterpart Andrew Price cut a dejected figure as he summed up his team's dismal performance. 
 
"I don't think we showed up, defensively we were out of shape, and we just didn't look interested in the game. This is the worse display I have seen from the team. I am disappointed with the way the team played and I expected more from them. But we just need to forget this quickly and get ourselves ready for the next game," Price said.
 
"We have to do some introspection; we know we are much better than this and so we have to get back to basics and start doing the simple things. We usually take pride in our defensive abilities, and we didn't show that and like I said its very disappointing," he added.
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