Plan worked perfectly for Tivoli

DEFENDING champions Tivoli Gardens played their cards right and everything else fell into place on Sunday night as a 1-0 away win at Harbour View lifted them from third to the top of the National Premier League standings.

Coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey said he went to Harbour View with a well-laid plan, which paid big dividends for Tivoli who played with 10 men for the last 31 minutes, after defender Kemar Flemmings was ejected for striking midfielder Kemeel Wolfe.

"We penetrated this side, knowing they had a youngster (in) and it paid off," Bailey said, pointing to Harbour View's left flank from where the 31st-minute goal originated.

Tivoli strikers Navion Boyd and Mitchily Waul, and attacking midfielder Marcelino Blackburn, were like thorns in Harbour View's left side, forcing young wing back Kemar Lawrence to make repeated back passes to central defender Chris Harvey.

Less than five minutes after being loudly warned by Harbour View coach Donovan Hayles, Lawrence, who could have either booted the ball upfield, for a throw, or, worse yet, a corner, did the unthinkable by rolling a back pass across goal from his flank.

Lawrence's back pass dissected Harbour View's defence, and Waul streaked in like a guided missile to boot the ball past goalie Michaud Barrett.

"Total inexperience," Hayles moaned after the match. "You send an instruction and it's not followed. He was just caught up in the moment, trying to play it safe. That's how it goes, he's a good young footballer and I won't kill him for it."

Second loss

However, it was Harbour View's second loss at home this season, keeping them fifth on seven points, joined by three other teams with as many points but inferior goal differences.

That's exactly the scenario Hayles hoped his team would have avoided as they seek to regain the title they lost to Tivoli last season.

"It was one of the games we had targeted to knock off one of the leaders, but we didn't seize the moment," he lamented.

Tivoli started the season perfectly, winning their first two games, but were set back by consecutive drawn games.

Sunday's results could not have been better for the defending champions, who started day two points behind Waterhouse.

Their victory over Harbour View put them on 11 points, the same as Portmore United who won 2-1 at home against Montego Bay United. Both teams have an identical goal difference, but Tivoli have scored two more goals than their Sunshine City rivals.

Waterhouse dropped to fourth on 10 points with a 1-2 home loss to Boys' Town, their first defeat of the season. Sporting Central are third on 10 points, holding a better goal difference than Waterhouse, after their 0-0 home draw with debutants Highgate.