6 months ago
24
CAVALIER DEFEATED Chapelton Maroons 2-0 in their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex last night to seal their place in the top six, while moving ahead of Portmore United in the table on goal difference.
Gawain Austin’s own goal after 65 minutes and Dwyane Atkinson’s 89th-minute strike gave the defending champions full points against an uninspiring Chapelton, who remain locked in a fight against relegation.
Cavalier climbed to 63 points, the same as Portmore, but are a goal to the good in the goal-difference column.
Despite cautioning his players not to over-exert themselves, Speid said they did enough to secure the win.
“We didn’t want to exert ourselves much. So in the first half we kind of kept possession as much as we could. But then we needed a point to secure our top six. So we worked for it in the second half,” he commented.
After four wins in their last five matches, Speid also believes they are running back into form.
“What is heartening is that we are hitting some form. We have been unbeaten in the last five or six and that is good for us. I never thought we would not get the win. I knew the fight would come from Chapelton. But we have a hard match coming up on Thursday and didn’t want to exert too much energy. So we played within ourselves, but we stepped it up later on because we wanted the three points,” he added
Cavalier controlled the game from the first whistle, and Calvin blasted the first chance over after 12 minutes.
Cavalier again came within inches of taking the lead, but Calvin could only turn Christopher Ainsworth’s cross against the outside of the post in the 25th minute.
Giovanni Laing also had a half-chance 38 minutes into the match, after a poor clearance from goalkeeper Jovell Plunkett, but his weak effort was cleared.
Atkinson also wasted a good chance in first-half stoppage time, scuffing a volley from 12 yards from another Ainsworth cross.
One minute into the second half, Chapelton created their first chance when Malike Stephens ran the full length of the right side of the pitch before crossing to Nuemonie Blackwood, who made a hash of the opportunity.
Atkinson then wasted the best chance of the match minutes later, placing horribly wide with only Plunkett to beat.
Cavalier eventually got in front through an own goal, as Austin turned Chad James’ cross past Plunkett.
Then with a minute to go, Atkinson finished a cross from Dwyane Allen to put the game to bed.
Chapelton are left tied on 33 points with second-from-bottom Humble Lion and 11th-placed Harbour View, and coach Vassell Reynolds said they will have to show more effort if they want to evade demotion.
“Very disappointing. Albeit we would have achieved the objective for the first half; we didn’t play all that well but it was 0-0 at half-time.
“We came on very flat [in the second half]. And once we conceded that own goal, it was down hill from there. But yes, it was very disappointing. Not just the result, but the effort, especially in the last 25 minutes. We have to get this type of performance out. If we do that in the next game we are in trouble,” he stated.
English (US) ·