Boys' Town cool Tivoli

Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

It is normally an intense affair when unfriendly neighbours Boys' Town and Tivoli Gardens meet in any football match, and it was no different yesterday afternoon during a 1-0 Boys' Town win in their latest Digicel Premier League clash, at Collie Smith Drive.

A 19th-minute penalty by Renae Lloyd made the difference in a keenly contested encounter that boasted all of the features that befit one of the country's fiercest rivalries.

The result handed Tivoli Gardens their first loss of the season and stretched Boys' Town's winning streak to three from as many starts, for the maximum nine points.

It was also Boys' Town's third win in their last five matches against their west Kingston rivals; and the goal was the 17th traded between the two over the period.

"When you look at west Kingston derbies, it's normally electrically charged and there was no difference today. I told my team that they had to be ready today and they came up trumps," reasoned a visibly pleased Andrew Price, coach of Boys' Town.

All-important goal

The hosts secured the all-important goal after Tivoli Gardens veteran Steve Green was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty box after some industrious play down the right side from the marauding Romondo Johnson.

The home team went on a rampage following the goal as they feverishly went in search of a second. Xavian Virgo teased the crossbar with a terrific shot from the top of the box; Marvin Morgan Jr. toyed with Christopher Jackson in front of the Boys' Town supporters down the right side; and Anthony Bennett tested Scott after an eye-catching one-two with Morgan Jr. The home supporters were now in full voice.

Tivoli's talisman, Boyd, replied by testing Porter at his near post in the 30th minute, but Morgan Jr returned the favour with a thumping drive eight minutes later, which forced Scott into an equally impressive save.

Lloyd stepped up to the spot and confidently placed a shot into the lower left-hand corner of the goal, sending goalkeeper Edsel Scott the wrong way in the process.

Scoring opportunity

For the remainder of the half, Boys' Town captain Michael Campbell got the best scoring opportunity, right on the stroke of half-time. Perhaps he could not believe his luck as Tivoli defender Victor Thompson inexplicably passed the ball to him at the top of his own box. But with the goal at his mercy, Campbell could only shoot straight at Scott to the relieve of an embarrassed-looking Thompson.

The visitors started the second half a little more purposefully and almost achieved parity two minutes after the restart, but Boyd's drive from the top of the box was parried by Porter into the path of former Boys' Town fan-favourite Shawn McKoy, who was then impeded by his teammate Steve Green as he was about to pull the trigger.

New-signing Devon Hodges twice came close to scoring after his headers in the dying stages both scraped a coat of paint off the crossbar, much to the dismay of the Tivoli Gardens supporters.

Tivoli's coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey rued his team's poor start.

"I think we loss the game in the first half when we played a little lackadaisical. But we came alive in the second. When you play at this level, the start is important and we didn't start well today," Bailey lamented.