Arnett find scoring touch

Nodley Wright, Gleaner Writer

Arnett Gardens found their goalscoring boots on Sunday as they slammed the hapless Village United 3-1 at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex to gain a valuable three points and move up three places to seventh in the 12-team Red Stripe Premier League.

Returning veteran Jonathan Williams in the first minute, Omar Gordon in the seventh and Leon Strickland in the 50th scored for Arnett Gardens, while Dino Williams got the consolation for Village United in the 70th minute.

The win put a rare smile on the face of Arnett Gardens' coach Paul 'Tegat' Davis.

"I am happy for the guys and the club, we got three points and we can take it from there," a pleased Davis said.

"We have been saying that since (Errol) Stevens left no one has stepped up to take on the goalscoring mantle. Today was different, they played as a team and delivered," added Davis.

The former national striker felt that the return of Williams had a positive impact on the team.

"When Johnny was away we missed him because he had been scoring goals. We need players with impact and the players who will take the half chances, and we watched the game with George's and Charlie Smith and it was the half chances that George's took and won the game. We took the chance in the first minute and the chance in the seventh minute and that was the difference for us," explained Davis.

But while Davis was praising his players for their opportunism, Village's Kendale Mercury was bemoaning his team's poor luck in conceding the early goals and lack of the finishing touch.

"Conceding two early goals kind of staggered us a little bit, but then we came back in the game. But we have been struggling for goals, so to go three behind was an uphill task," Mercury said.

The assessment of both coaches was spot on as after giving up the two early goals, Village settled down and played with a lot of purpose and thought as they moved the ball around well with Ian McAnuff, Olivier Trail and Orlando McBayne their better players. Their good work was to come to naught as there appeared to be a communication barrier with their forward line.

Village United were not the only ones failing to make use of their opportunities as Arnett players Gordon could have had a hat-trick, Strickland could have had another and captain Rohan Reid could have had one of his own. Reid's miss would have completed a brilliant bit of work by Strickland, who cut the goalkeeper to bits and played the ball to Reid on the top of the 18-yard box to steer home. But he unbelievably struck the crossbar with the goalkeeper lying helplessly.

While Village remain firmly rooted at the foot of the points table, Mercury is not giving up the ghost, believing that once they sort out their weaknesses they can compete.

"It is football and we have to just relax ourselves and get it together, because again we conceded three goals from crosses which has been one of our weak points from the season; conceding goals off the diagonal ball," Mercury said.

Summary of Red Stripe Premier League Football matches  played on Sunday



Humble Lion 2 Harbour View 0 at Effortville Community Centre

GOALS: Humble Lion: Jermaine Christian 8th, Carlington Smith 80th

Sporting Central Academy 1 Portmore United 2 at Brancourt

GOALS: Sporting Central - LeVaughn Williams 41st, Ewan Grandison 19th, 44th

Highgate United 0 Waterhouse 1 at Lynch Park

GOAL: Waterhouse - Peter Keyes 8th

Montego Bay United 1 Tivoli Gardens 1 at Montego Bay Sports Complex

GOALS: Montego Bay United - Mauracio Gordon 72nd; Tivoli Gardens - Mario Swaby 76th

Arnett Gardens 3 Village United 1 at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

GOALS: Arnett Gardens - Jonathan Williams 1st, Omar Gordon 8th, Leon Strickland 50th; Village United - Dino Williams 71st

Reno 0 Boys' Town 0 at Frome Sports Complex