Tivoli's aspirations crushed
published:
Monday | April 28, 2008
Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Boys' Town's Michael Campbell (on the ground) makes a sliding tackle on Tivoli Gardens' Oraine Simpson (centre) during their National Premier League match at Collie Smith Drive yesterday. Boys' Town won 2-1. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Tivoli Gardens' aspirations of lifting the National Premier League title received a crushing blow when they were trodden on 2-1 by a rampaging Boys' Town in a must-win situation at Collie Smith Drive yesterday.
Already trailing leaders Portmore by eight points, with only three games remaining, the loss, a second in a row for the west Kingston team, opened the door for the St Catherine team to wrap up the league title with a win over Harbour View in last night's late game at Ferdie Neita Park.
Shawn McKoy fired Boys' Town, who looked a highly motivated team, into the lead in the 21st minute. Latching on to a looping ball played from the middle of the park, McKoy cut inside from the right flank before firing wide of Edsel Scott.
Defender Xavian Virgo later took a rare opportunity to etch his name on the scoresheet. Played into the area by a well-weighted through ball from striker George Vernal, Virgo fired wide of the Tivoli custodian Scott from a tough angle, to put the Red Brigade two goals ahead in the 55th.
Fierce free kick
Only the heroics of Scott kept Boys' Town from increasing the lead in the 78th minute. Already caught going in the wrong direction, the custodian reacted quickly to get a boot to a fiercely struck Vernal free kick.
Tivoli would manage to pull a goal back in the 90th minute, when an unmarked Jermaine Allen tapped the ball into the back of the net.
Caught on the counter, Boys' Town 'keeper Kirk Porter had sprinted out of goal to attempt to cover an advancing Navian Boyd. However, the forward still had enough time to cross the ball to Allen who stood unmarked in the area.
Tivoli coach Desmond Francis was very disappointed with his team's performance.
"We were just flat, the team played as if they didn't understand the importance of the game," Francis said. "The guys are playing as if they think Portmore have won the title already and that is really disappointing."
Needing a positive start to a final round they entered trailing Portmore by five points, Tivoli have been stuck in the blocks, going down 0-1 at home to Sporting Central before losing to Boys' Town.
Andrew Price, coach of Boys' Town, was pleased with his team's performance but believes they could have achieved even greater things with consistency.
"When we get results like this it's dissapointing that we didn't play like this for the entire season," he said. "We could have won today by an even bigger margin, we were sound all around today."
