By Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
Markino Gillings (right) celebrates scoring with teammate Fabian Malcolm during their 4-0 win over Wadadah in their Wray and Nephew National Premier League match at Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday.
- RICARDO MAKYN/Staff Photographer
WITHOUT LAST season's Most Valuable Player, Fabian Davis, Tivoli Gardens made a sparkling start towards the defence of their Wray and Nephew National Premier League title, trouncing Wadadah 4-0 at the Edward Seaga Stadium (formerly Railway Oval) yesterday.
It was bad medicine for Wadadah on their journey back to top flight football as they left the West Kingston venue as sore losers. In total, Wadadah conceded 12 goals on the day as their Under-21 side was drenched 8-1 by Tivoli.
FIERY BAPTISM
For their fiery baptism yesterday, the name Markino Gillings will haunt Wadadah for some time. Gillings returned to Wadadah from Constant Spring where he was on loan at the end of last season, to lead their NPL qualification for this season. He transferred during the off-season and was poison for his old team.
"It is a nice feeling. I did my job for Wadadah and I am now doing my job for Tivoli," said Gillings, who has set himself the goal of getting a recall to the national football team.
Gillings netted in the 36th and 79th minutes, rushing to the top of the goal scoring table in the process. However, it was Lenworth Hyde Jnr's name that entered history as the first scorer in this season's league.
PENALTY
Hyde bagged a penalty on minute number 20 after Jermaine Anderson handled a cross in the box, forcing referee Peter Prendergast to point to the spot. The other goalscorer was Fabian Malcom, who netted nine minutes from time, capitalising on a bad miss from Triston Bernard who advanced for the ball and lost it, leaving Malcolm with an open net.
Yesterday's game is one Bernard would want to forget. Although his defenders failed to offer much help in front of goal, he gave up two tame goals - Malcolm's and Gillings' first. Bernard dropped the ball on Gillings' right foot in the 36th minute, a gift the striker gleefully accepted as from point blank range he bombed into the net to register his first goal with Tivoli. Gillings, however, netted his second in a more clinical fashion, getting onto the end of a Denroy Gordon's cross and placing it one time past the 'keeper.
BIG WIN
But while Tivoli are at this moment revelling over the big win, Wadadah will have themselves to blame for the defeat. In fact, up until the first goal came against the run of play, Wadadah had the homesters on the ropes.
Their skipper Fabian Blake inexplicably missed a free header nine minutes into the game after Kendrie Quarrie split the defence with a cross. And as if that miss was not enough, Rohan Reid pulled off the unforgivable - sending a tame shot to goal after Tivoli's Philmore Crumbie advanced for the ball and missed. Faced with an open net and with lots of time, Reid rolled the ball goalwards but could only watch in awe as Kasai Hinds recovered to stop the ball on the goalline.
Those two chances, if converted could have changed the entire complexion of the game.
Carlton Alexander, Wadadah's coach, affirmed that not scoring the early goals cost his team the game.
"When we get our opportunities first and don't make use of them we have to pay the penalty, that is what happened," explained Alexander.
POSITIVE START
However, for Tivoli's coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, victory signals a positive start to their title defence.
"I am very pleased but we still have a long way to go," said Bailey, whose team was also missing top strikers Roland Dean and Christopher Nicholas.
Nicholas is recovering from an injury while Dean was forced the sit out the game because of a red card he picked up in their final game last season.
