Boyd double caps goodnight for Tivoli

Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

TIVOLI GARDENS left Drewsland on Sunday night singing, 'I've got a feeling tonight's gonna be a good night', after a bruising 2-1 victory over fifth-place Waterhouse sent them six points clear, moving to 55 atop the Digicel Premier League standings with three games left in the third round.

After Navion Boyd opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first minute and added a second in the 23rd with a sweet half-volley from atop the box, news came from east Kingston that homesters Harbour View and Boys' Town - both locked on 48 points, four behind Tivoli - had played out a 0-0 draw to move to 49.

Waterhouse started the second half searching for a goal and were rewarded three minutes after the break when Vincent Earle clinically finished Kenardo Forbes' right flank move from a give-and-go with Desmond Breakenridge.

However, striker Jermaine Anderson's dismissal a minute later, for a rash foul on Lennox Wright almost in front referee Raymond Bogle, reduced Waterhouse to 10 men.

Despite losing Anderson, coach Baris Johnson went into attack mode and made three offensive changes, bringing on veteran Jonathan Williams, replacing wing back Odain Simpson, in addition to pulling defensive midfielder Hugh Howell, who was replaced by attacking player Jermaine Fletcher.

Johnson also took out starting striker Peter Keyes in favour of the fresh legs of Adrian King.

The changes worked and had Tivoli playing as if they were the ones with a man short, forced on the defensive as Waterhouse searched for the elusive equaliser.

King's long-range shot from the right flank beat goalkeeper Edsel Scott in the 72nd minute, but not the crossbar, sending groans of disappointment around the Waterhouse Mini Stadium.

That was the second time Waterhouse had hit the horizontal. The ejected Anderson was also denied by the woodwork early in the first half, four minutes after the opening goal.

Tivoli coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey was relieved to have got three points at Drewsland after being forced to make three changes due to injuries in a match marked by seven cautions, a dismissal and nine minutes added for stoppage.

"Such is football, I don't mind," he said in reference to the tough match Waterhouse played with 10 men.

"We just have to play with hearts and guts," said Bailey. "There are times when we play the better football and don't get anything to show for it. I always say an ugly win is better than a pretty loss.

"To come to Waterhouse and get a win, no matter how, it's still a good thing," he added.

Bailey said the six points his team now leads by is definitely a confidence booster.

"With three games to go in the third round, if we take that into the fourth round, that would definitely be a cushion," he said.

Johnson said the early goals set back his team, but praised their fightback as "a gutsy performance".

"I think with 44 points, we still have three games in this round, that's nine points. We just have to start getting those three-pointers," he added.

Next matches - Sunday, March 6

• 3 p.m. Boys' Town vs Waterhouse
• 3 p.m. Humble Lions vs Benfica
• 6:30 p.m. Portmore vs Arnett
• 3 p.m. Reno vs St Georges
• 5 p.m. Tivoli vs Harbour View
• 3 p.m. Village vs Sporting Central

(Home teams named first)