Victory puts Seba on target

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

Despite missing a spate of chances, former national champions Seba United registered their first win in the Jamaica Football Federation Confederation play-offs on Sunday night, when they clipped Rivoli FC 1-0 at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay.

By virtue of the win, the unbeaten Seba United, which scored through prolific striker Kemar James, are now joint leaders of the four-team competition with St Mary's Highgate FC, which surprised the previous leaders, Cavalier FC, 2-0 in their game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

"This is exactly where we were aiming to be at the halfway stage in this competition," said Seba United's coach, Omar Clarke.

"It is now for us to build on what we have so that we can take one of the two qualifying places for next season's Premier League," he added.

Rivoli, now in dire straits with just one point from three games, had their coach Calvert Fitzgerald bemoaning both their woeful form before the goal as well as the porous nature of their defence.

"This is the second week running that we have given up a soft goal and lost a game," said a somewhat dejected Fitzgerald. "To make matters worse we are creating chances and not putting them away."

second-round games

Despite their dicey position, Fitzgerald is not giving up. In fact, he is calculating that if they could win all three second-round games, there is still a chance that they could get a top-two finish.

"We are not giving up," stated Fitzgerald. "If we could get all nine points in the second round I believe we could still qualify with 10 points."

After being matched in the opening minutes by Rivoli, Seba gradually began to take control and should have taken the lead in the fifth minute when James got away before the goal. However, he fumbled badly and was not able to get off a shot.

Midway the half, Seba missed back to back chances in the 24th and 27th minutes. Firstly, James fired straight at the goalkeeper and secondly, Deshaun Wollery fumbled with the goalkeeper at his mercy.

After coming close to conceding a goal when Rivoli's Anthony Greenland fired wide from close range in the 31st minute, Seba took the lead five minutes later. A powerful shot by Torrey Samuel rebounded from the goalkeeper to James, who picked his spot and calmly fired home, making the half-time score 1-0.

In the second half, Seba dominated the action but again fell prey to faulty finishing. Midfielder Iton Scott shaved the crossbar with a fabulous free kick in the 58th minute and two minutes later, Omar Reid broke free on goal but fired straight at the goalkeeper.

With time running out, Rivoli got their best chance of the half in the 85th minute. Luke Soares got away on the edge of the penalty area, but his powerful shot was brilliantly saved by Tristan Bernard in goal for Seba.