Boys' Town miss glorious opportunity

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Boys' Town squandered a glorious opportunity to keep the pressure on their west Kingston neighbours, Tivoli Gardens, when they played out a nil-all draw with Sporting Central Academy in their Digicel Premier League encounter at Collie Smith Drive yesterday.

Boys' Town entered the 29th round of matches just four points adrift of the league leaders' 51, but missed several scoring opportunities, including a 60th-minute penalty.

The result left them on 48 points and their coach, Andrew Price, a very dejected man.

Continue working hard

"If you want to win the Premier League you have to win games like these," Price stated.

"We have to continue working hard, but it is very frustrating when you get opportunities like this and don't make use of it.

"We are getting opportunities to mount challenges on the leaders and every time we get an opportunity we don't make use of it. We just have to continue working, but sometimes it is very demoralising," he bewailed.

However, it was the seventh-place Sporting who got off to the more adventurous start when in the opening minute Boys' Town's keeper, Philmore Crumbie, made a hash of an innocuous-looking cross. He parried the ball to the feet of Sporting's goal-scoring hero from their last outing, Keith Kelly, but his well-struck volley rocketed back off the crossbar.

The Red Brigade had to wait until the 60th minute for their best chance of the game. Anthony Bennett picked up a ball on the right side of Sporting's area and unleashed a goal-bound shot, which was deemed to have struck the hand of Sporting's defender David Boswell.

The resulting penalty was poorly struck by Renae Lloyd, allowing Sporting's custodian, Jacomeno Barrett, to effect a regulation save.

Nigel Stewart, Sporting's assistant coach, lamented his team's failure to convert their chances, but was satisfied with the point.

"I thought we played well although we got numerous opportunities and we didn't score, so until we start to score we are going to draw many of our games and lose some," Stewart expressed. "A point from home is always welcome, we are pleased with the point."

Sporting, sitting in mid-table, now have 37 points.