'My most important goal for TG'

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

It was one of the goals of the season, and one that certainly deserved to settle what was a tense Digicel Premier League title race between eventual victors Tivoli Gardens and Boys' Town, during their clash at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex on Sunday.

In one sweeping move, Tivoli Gardens talisman Navion Boyd collected a grass-cutting pass, turned his marker Daemon Benjamin before unleashing a torrid strike into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal with a little help from the upright.

Despite diving to his left, there was really nothing that Boys' Town's goalkeeper Kirk Porter could do and with that strike. The west Kingston-based Tivoli Gardens outfit claimed their fifth hold on the coveted title. The win also made TG the most successful club in local football history, joining Santos as five-time national champions.

Boyd is certainly used to scoring big goals and is the team's leading goal-getter this year with 11 strikes. There is, however, no doubt which one is regarded as his most important.

Reliving the moment, Boyd explained how he had practised that move time and again in training, with little success. It seems, however, that practice really does become perfect.

"When I turned him, the only thing on my mind was to shoot. It was something that I have been working on for the past couple of weeks with the coaches ... so pulling it off today is really a great feeling," Boyd beamed.

injury

It was a great end to the striker's season, which has been dogged by injury, with the 2009-2010 league MVP missing a number of games in the first and second rounds due to a serious shoulder injury.

"It's a very good feeling scoring the goal that gave my team the trophy," said an elated Boyd after the final whistle had gone. "I have always dreamt of doing that, seeing that I am one of the more important players on the team, so I feel really good to be the one who scored that goal."

Boyd, a national representative, was lifting his second league title with Tivoli Gardens, but was also keen to point out that this latest success meant a bit more than his previous title exploits two years ago.

"Yes, this is my second title in four years at the club so it's also good, but this one is more special than the last one, seeing that we were under so much pressure from Boys' Town coming into this final round," said Boyd.

"This means a whole lot to the entire Tivoli Gardens community, given what the community has been through, so giving them the title means a lot to us and a lot to them," he added.

With the Flow Champions Cup final against St Georges coming up in a few days and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the summer, the 24-year-old is looking forward to a busy and successful few months.

"Yes, I am hoping to continue doing well and I'm looking forward to more success," Boyd added.