Reggae Boy Bell breaks drought

LONDON, England (CMC):

Reggae Boy Amari’i Bell scored his first goal since August 2021 to help fire Luton Town to fifth spot in the English Championship yesterday, while St Kitts and Nevis forward Rowan Liburd and Grenada winger Ricky Modeste traded goals in a sixth-tier National League South match that ended 1-1.

At John Smith’s Stadium, defender Reece Burke scored a late winner for Luton against Huddersfield Town on his return to action after three months out injured.

Huddersfield, themselves chasing a third straight win, led midway through the first half through American Duane Holmes, but 28-year-old Bell began Luton’s comeback, equalising just before halftime.

A right-wing cross found the left-back on the edge of the area and his driven shot was deemed to have gone in, despite an attempted clearance by a home defender on the goal line.

Luton manager Rob Edwards, whose side have taken nine points from their four matches since he succeeded Nathan Jones as manager, said: “We found a way to win. After a slow start, we gradually grew into it. It was great timing to get the equaliser when we did.”

Antigua and Barbuda forward Rhys Browne bagged a brace as Woking kicked off the new year by continuing their fifth-tier English National League promotion push with an emphatic 4-1 derby win over Aldershot Town. The 27-year-old Browne lobbed the high-flying Cardinals into the lead inside two minutes at the Laithwaite Community Stadium before Inih Effiong levelled for the Shots in the 40th minute.

But Browne restored the hosts’ advantage by firing high into the net from the penalty spot deep into first-half added time to claim his 13th league goal of the season.

Quick-fire second-half goals sealed the three points for fourth-place Woking, with Jim Kellerman’s near-post finish followed two minutes later by a strike from Padraig Amond.

The home side, who won 2-1 at Aldershot on Boxing Day, finished the game with 10 men after midfielder Jermaine Anderson, who is of Jamaican descent, was shown a straight red card for a two-footed lunge 15 minutes from time.

The 30-year-old Liburd, meanwhile, gave Cheshunt the lead on 21 minutes, but the visitors were denied all three points at the Aspect Arena where Concord Rangers levelled on 90 minutes through Modeste, the 34-year-old heading home at the back post from a Nana Kyei cross, to secure a 1-1 draw.

Rangers lie 20th in the 24-team table with Cheshunt one place below them, separated only by goal difference.