Humble Lion, Sporting in contentious draw

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Clarendon-based Digicel Premier League (DPL) teams, Humble Lion and Sporting Central Academy, fought to a contentious 0-0 draw at Effortville Community Centre yesterday.

Both found reason to complain about the refereeing, but did precious little to eke out any advantage with penetrative football.

It was the seventh meeting between the parish rivals in two years and the sixth straight time the two were forging draws. They have not done well in the DPL third round over the same period and their recent form meant they were not in the mood to give any quarters.

Following a three game-slump, Humble Lion were desperate to kick-start another campaign out from the relegation tier, while Sporting barely hung on to their privileged top-six position.

The one-point gained at this stage merely enunciated the difficulties the two face moving up the tables with Sporting inching to 35 points and Humble Lion 26.

The spirit of animosity was deeply reflected in the seven yellow cards shown and the times both came perilously close to forcing Kevin Morrison's hand for the dreaded red.

To add even more controversy, Sporting Central were denied a goal in time added when François Swaby's shot into the net was waved off for offside.

Not surprisingly, both camps singled out the referee for scathing criticism, but the Jamaica Football Federation-designated match commissary at the game, Ewan Scott, saw differently.

"The game was hotly contested but the way both teams were criticising the referee, it showed they were watching from a biased stand-point," Scott told The Gleaner. He also opined that Morrison, who also hailed from Clarendon, was careful not to overplay with cards.

"I am of the view that the cards given were deserved and probably there were instances where there could have seen more, but that would have totally marred the game. I thought the referee tried to make a difficult game flow."