York stay in hunt for NPL
published:
Thursday | May 29, 2008
YORK UNITED kept their hopes of securing a spot in local top-flight football alive after holding second-placed Rivoli to a 1-1 draw in the National Premier League (NPL) play-offs at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, yesterday.
The valuable point on the road for York saw them move to four points, just three behind Rivoli with two games remaining.
However, the St Catherine team retains the advantage, leading easterners, York, on head-to-head results, should the sides finish the competition deadlocked on points.
Rivoli beat York 4-1 when they met in the opening game of the play-offs.
In the day's other game, leaders Meadhaven United saw their ambitions of wrapping up a promotion washed away after heavy rain and a waterlogged pitch caused their scoreless encounter against bottom-placed Wadadah to be called off at halftime.
For the first half of the game, struggling Wadadah put in a lively performance as they aimed to get back in the race. Despite losing their first three games, Wadadah still have a mathematical chance of advancing, but that's heavily dependent on other results.
Dangerous moments
While there were few dangerous moments for both teams, Rohan Reid of Wadadah should have put away a corner which came directly to his head at the edge of the six-yard area, but he headed wide.
With the rain beginning at halftime on an easily waterlogged pitch, no quality football could be played and both teams accepted the offer when referee Doyen Tummings decided to call it a day.
At the Spanish Town Prison Oval, Fidel Anderson gave Rivoli a deserved lead in the 34th minute when his long-range effort flew past York custodian, Donald Atkinson, who hardly seemed to recognise the object.
Following a poorly cleared cross, Anderson drifted across his defender before belting a stunner past the custodian from 25 yards away.
Rivoli seemed to be caught napping at the start of the second half and paid for their momentary lapse when substitute Gregory Beckford snuck in at the back post to head a corner to the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net in the 54th minute.
From then, both teams had an opportunity to steal the game. Barrington Planter did his best to keep his 70th-minute scorcher low but the effort skidded off the top of the crossbar. For York, Jermaine Miller eluded the Rivoli defence in the 75th minute, but was denied when Rivoli 'keeper Selvin Collins charged out of goal. Collecting another cross eight yards away from the target. Miller stubbed an 80th-minute attempt straight to the 'keeper.
Little disappointment
"We made some adjustments after our first game against them. We knew they were not three goals better than us," said York coach Patrick Barclay.
Rivoli coach Anthony Thompson was disappointed with his team's defensive attitude and stressed that it needed to be improved going forward.
"All season we have been defensively sound but since the start of this competition we have been conceding soft goals," he said.
"We definitely have to tighten up on this in the remaining games."
