1 year ago
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REIGNING Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalier drew their third match in four games yesterday when they were held 0-0 by Tivoli Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.
Cavalier have won just once in six games this year and are now in fifth with 34 points, seven ahead of Tivoli,who are in seventh with 27.
The defending champions were looking to rebound from their 2-2 draw with Arnett Gardens in their previous encounter but found themselves under pressure early in the game. Tivoli Gardens’ Kavan Wilson, in the 27th minute, found himself unmarked at the near post but couldn’t convert his header as he placed it in the awaiting gloves of Cavalier’s custodian Vino Barclett. Following a swift counterattack, Lennox Russell then had a good chance to put Tivoli in front in the 34th minute but he sent his effort above the crossbar. In the first half of added time, Tivoli Gardens’ defender Barrington Pryce also found acres of space courtesy of a set piece, but a rushed shot sent his effort wide of the mark.
Cavalier had to wait until the 70th minute for their first real chance on goal and came very close through the in-form Jalmaro Calvin, who unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, which had to be expertly denied by the outstretched arms of veteran Diego Haughton. In the 91st minute, Calvin was again in the thick of things as he managed to get beyond his marker but his shot went just wide of the intended target.
With the final kick of the game, Tivoli’s Gardens’ Rodico Wellington’s went close to earning all three points for his team, but his free-kick could only clip the crossbar.
Jerome Waite, head coach of Tivoli Gardens, shared that he would continue his hunt for players that could convert chances into goals.
“Both teams didn’t want to give away anything. The defensive unit isn’t the problem. It’s the offence, and we just have to continue to work. Hopefully, we can add one or two players as we have to find somebody that can kick the ball into the goal,” he stated.
Rudolph Speid, head coach of Cavalier, credited the tactical work produced by Tivoli Gardens to nullify their goalscoring chances.
“It’s always a difficult fixture. I think we’re still feeling some fatigue. Tivoli Gardens pressed us high up the field, so that didn’t allow us to play our normal game. However, I still think we played well enough to have gotten a goal,” Speid said.
Yesterday’s results:
Molynes United 0-0 Portmore United
Mount Pleasant 4-1 Vere United
Arnett Gardens 5-1 Humble Lion
English (US) ·