Portmore's free fall continues with loss
published:
Thursday | January 3, 2008
Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer
Tivoli Gardens' goalscorer Navion Boyd (right) turns away from Portmore United's Damion Williams during yesterday's Cash Plus Premier League match at Ferdie Neita Park. Tivoli won 1-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
PORTMORE UNITED's free fall from the top the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL) standings continued yesterday when Navion Boyd's 16th-minute goal handed Tivoli Gardens a 1-0 victory at Ferdie Neita Park, pulling them within a point of the league leaders.
It was Tivoli's first victory over Portmore in three years and a significant one this season after losing 3-0 in the first round and 1-0 in the end-of-round final.
After starting the second round six points clear of Tivoli, Portmore have won just one match since, now losing two home games, to wipe out what was a sizeable lead atop the table.
Tivoli moved to 27 points after Boyd outran stumbling defender Adrian Mitchell on a long pass played into the right side of the box and luckily picked up a rebound after goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers rushed off his line but failed to collect cleanly.
With a yawning goal yards ahead, Boyd hit home with glee, much to the delight of travelling Tivoli fans, who had watched their side being embarrassed 3-0 by Portmore at home in round one.
Portmore's defence, for the first time this season, looked ragged and Boyd's strike partner, Jermaine Gray, wasted a grand chance to put his team two goals up two minutes later, blasting into the side-netting with Sawyers stranded off his line. Tivoli went in at the break looking the better team but it was Portmore who got the first chance at the resumption when substitute Carlos Barrett slipped behind defenders on the left side but rushed his shot, slamming the ball into his lead foot as he teed up.
The game threatened to turn ugly in the second half with high boots and flying kicks, especially after the early ejection of Tivoli coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey for abusive language to the fourth official.
Assistant coach Desmond Francis said Tivoli were taking it one match at a time.
"We definitely came here to win or at least a draw," he said. "We are playing every game like the last, plus we had not beaten Portmore for the past three years," he pointed out.
Portmore's coach, Linval Dixon, admitted his normally sharp defence appeared sluggish.
"I am concerned about our lead going down but we still have a far way to go," he said. "We lost a big one today but we're just coming out of the holidays and we need to re-energise and refocus," he added.
