RELEGATED

VERE UNITED became the first relegation casualty of the Jamaica Premier League season after they went down 2-1 to Tivoli at Wembley Centre of Excellence yesterday.

Tyreek Magee put Vere up after seven minutes, but goals from Kimberly Smith (27th) and Barrington Pryce (68th) saw Tivoli to victory.

Tivoli (51 points) remained seventh, one point behind Waterhouse, who beat Humble Lion 1-0.

Vere remain at the bottom on 23 points, 10 points adrift of 12-placed Dunbeholden with three matches remaining.

Vere can only finish level on points with 13th-placed and second-from-bottom Molynes (32 points).

Molynes, in the meantime, gave their relegation battle a major boost after a 2-0 win over Dunbeholden, who sit directly above them in the table.

Nichashae Murray (7th) and Mickel Graham (90+7) were the scorers for Molynes, who are one point behind Dunbeholden, Humble Lion, Harbour View, and Chapelton.

At the Harbour View Mini-Stadium, the home team surrendered a 2-0 first-half lead to end 2-2 with Cavalier.

Dejaun Green and Andre Fagan put the hosts in front at the break. But Jalmaro Calvin’s brace ensured a point.

TEAMS IN TROUBLE

Cavalier are fifth on 57 points, while Harbour View are 10th but are tied with two other teams on 33 points, and are still very much in relegation trouble.

In the meantime, Portmore United responded to their recent defeat to Cavalier with a 2-1 win over Arnett Gardens at the Ferdi Neita Park, leaving them out of the battle for a top-six place.

Goals from Cardel Benbow (28th) and Ronaldo Robinson (61st), sandwiched a Warner Brown 60th-minute penalty to give Rodolph Austin’s team their third win in four games, and, in the process, cut Arnett’s lead over them to four points.

Arnett stayed third on 67 and Portmore fourth on 63.

“It (win) means a lot. This confirms us for the top six. And it is good to win a game against Arnett, who have a very good team and who are doing well at the moment,” Austin commented.

“It was a very competitive, physical game with quality, also. It was a nice win for the team. It shows good character that we lost a couple days ago and we had the courage to come play. We were leading and gave away a penalty, and we went up [to] their goal and scored right away.”

Portmore controlled the early period of the contest and had a golden chance through Benbow, but he could not keep his effort on target.

Arnett slowly worked their way into the game and had a great opportunity, but goalkeeper Daniel Russell denied Rushike Kelson’s low strike to the far corner.

Portmore took the lead in the 28th minute after Benbow got in behind to put a header on target, although goalkeeper Jadavin Waul parried his effort, the forward was first to react to the loose ball and turned home from four yards.

Ricardo Thomas came close to an Arnett equaliser, but could not get a touch on a strike from Brown that just missed the upright.

Arnett got back into the game 15 minutes after the break, when Brown, brought down in the area, put away the resulting penalty.

However, that lead lasted just a minute, as Ronaldo Robinson went on a solo run before dispatching a vicious, low drive past Waul from 20 yards.

Arnett threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, with Kelson and Brown both coming close.

Nevertheless, Portmore defended stoutly to see out the win.

Arnett coach Xavier Gilbert said his players lost their cool after they went behind for a second time.

“Tough opposition, and we knew it was going to be easy. Defensively, our opponents have been doing good and we were mindful of that.

“But I thought that, especially in the second half, we panicked. We rushed things. We kept turning over the ball and were not as committed as we should [have been], and those were the things we were disappointed with,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS

Portmore 2-1 Arnett

Harbour View 2-2 Cavalier

Dunbeholden 0-2 Molynes Utd

Vere Utd 1-2 Tivoli

Waterhouse 1-0 Humble Lion