Village claim elite spot

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Village United joined Tivoli Gardens (61 points), Boys' Town (56), Harbour View (51), Waterhouse (47) and Portmore United (47) in the elite top six of the Digicel Premier League, after the final set of matches in the third round yesterday.

The top six teams at the end of the third round are guaranteed life in the country's top football competition next season, while the remaining six teams will battle to avoid the drop.

Village entered the round seventh in the 12-team table, but overtook Reno into the coveted sixth position courtesy of an 83rd minute strike by Oliver Trail, which was enough to earn them a 1-0 win over 11th-place St Georges (36) Sports Club.

St Georges are joined in the lower half of the standings by Humble Lion (34), who are at the foot of the 12-team table after playing to a nil-all draw with eighth-place Arnett Gardens (41); ninth-place Sporting Central Academy (40) and 10th-placed Benfica (37), who both played out draws with Harbour View and Boys' Town, respectively.

Boys' Town and Benfica ended 1-1 at Drax Hall through goals from Benfica's Garfield Reid (8th minute) and the Red Brigade's Fabian Francis (61st).

Rallied from behind

Home team Sporting Central twice rallied from behind, to secure a 2-2 tie with Harbour View at Brancourt. Oneke Ford (22nd, 54th) netted a double for the Clarendon team, while Kemeel Wolfe (second ) and Jahmali Spence (47th ) scored for Harbour View.

Waterhouse leapfrogged Portmore United, with a 1-0 win at Ferdie Neita Park, courtesy of a 54th minute strike by Peter Keyes.

Tivoli Gardens stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 11 games, but missed out on the opportunity to extend their lead a top the standings over Boys' Town, as they were held to a one-all draw at home by Reno.

Tivoli dominated the first half and took a well-deserved lead in the 45th minute when a Nackwayne Parchment cross found the unmarked Kemar Flemmings on the back post, for him to head home.

Reaping rewards

The home team emerged from the half-time break a different unit, as they looked flat. Reno took full advantage of this and reaped due rewards in the 69th minute, when Kevon Grant popped up on the back post to turn in a Miguel Jones cross.

Tivoli Gardens' head coach, Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, was unhappy with the result.

"We are disappointed in the sense that playing at home in this juncture of the competition we were really looking for maximum points, which would have taken us seven points ahead of the nearest person to us," Bailey shared.

"Going into the fourth round with a five-point lead is not one that we had wanted, but it is one that we appreciate because there are a lot of teams that would have liked to be in the position that we are in now," he added.

Though dissatisfied with the result, Wendell Downswell, technical director of Reno, was pleased with his team's effort and is confident going forward.

"I am very disappointed, but I think we fought gallantly. We gave up a very soft goal in the first half and that affected us, but overall I think it was a good performance from the team," Downswell expressed.

Standings