Bailey hopes win provides catalyst for Tivoli Gardens

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Tivoli Gardens head coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey is hoping that his team's victory on Sunday at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex in their western Kingston derby with fierce rivals Boys' Town - their first win in nine games - will serve as a catalyst for a winning run in the Red Stripe Premier League.

"Getting this win, hopefully the monkey is finally off our back and we can build on this," Bailey expressed.

"We know it (the win) was long overdue. We have been playing well, but just not finding the back of the net, but we found the back of the net tonight," he added.

Goals by Christopher Jackson (13th), Roland Dean (52nd) and Mitchily Waul (65th) allowed Tivoli to halt an eight-game winless streak; seven of which came in the Premier League.

Boys' Town's consolation goal was netted by captain Michael Campbell (90+3).

Influential midfielder

The win saw Tivoli reclaim second in the 12-team table with 23 points, while Boys' Town slipped one place to eighth on 18 points, having now gone five games without a victory.

Tivoli, however, failed once more to end a game with the full complement of players as Jackson was ejected in the 48th minute after striking Boys' Town's Renae Lloyd.

Bailey attributes his team's improved showing partly to influential midfielder Mario Swaby.

"Mario Swaby made a big difference in the midfield and the midfield worked very hard with a lot of movement off the football," Bailey reasoned.

"We are in a slump now, but once you are a champion you have to find a way to win," he added.

Boys' Town's head coach, Andrew Price, believes his team was totally outplayed by their opponents.

"I think we were tactically indisciplined today. We gave up two soft goals, especially when Tivoli went down to 10 players," Price noted.

"I think we were outclassed, outmanoeuvred and outfoxed today by a good Tivoli Gardens team," he added. "We didn't play the part today, we didn't show up at all; Tivoli came here and they wanted it and really outclassed us today."

Price was also left disappointed with his team's failure to capitalise on their numerical advantage following Jackson's dismissal.

"After going behind very early to a very innocuous goal ... it was always going to be a difficult task," Price pointed out. "When they went down to 10 players, we should have used the extra man to force the initiative, but we were a bit naive in our defending and, as a result, gave up two soft goals."

He added: "We are going to have to do some soul-searching and do some hard work and get back on the winning trail again."