WESTERN BUREAU:
WADADAH captured three valuable points as they beat Tivoli Gardens 1-0 at Jarrett Park yesterday to close the first round of the National Premier League.
Thomas Grant scored in the 82nd minute of what was a scrappy and physical game as the Montego Bay team scored their second win of the season and ended the round on 10 points and in joint sixth place with Hazard United.
Starting in front of a nearly empty Jarrett Park, save for a few fans who were on time for the unusual early start, the game settled quickly with both teams moving forward purposefully in search of an early goal.
Tivoli passed the ball around with some ease, using the flanks while Wadadah opted for the more direct approach, sending the ball long upfield hoping either Grant or Markino Gillings would catch up to it. Both teams, however, appeared to run out of ideas late in the half and for most of the remaining 60 minutes.
Former national under 17 goalkeeper Jahwayne Boyd who was making his debut for Wadadah, replacing the departed Warren Barrett, had an outstanding game, especially in the second half when he blocked two point blank chances.
Ricardo Harvey got the first chance for Tivoli in the 33rd minute when a thunderous shot from outside the 18 yards area from the right side, beat Boyd but hit the inside of the far post and rebounded into play.
Dave Clarke suffered a similar fate in the 47th minute when his shot from the left side of the Wadadah area, ricocheted off the far post, back across the goal area before it was scrambled out of danger. Boyd was off his line to block a shot from Clarke in the 50th minute and 10 minutes later he again off the goal line in a flash to intercept Orville Chisholm on the edge of the 18 yards box. The Tivoli striker had managed to beat the offside trap and had a clear run at the Wadadah goal.
Wadadah clinched all three points late in the game when they caught Tivoli on the counter-attack. Floyd Scott dribbled down the left-hand side before crossing to a streaking Grant on the right. The speedy forward came in behind the defence and shot past Edsel Scott into the far corner. Tivoli were reduced to 10 men just before the end when captain Jermaine Johnson was sent off by referee Hughill Thompson after picking up his second yellow card of the game.
Gillings should have doubled the score in the last minute of play when a failed clearance landed at his feet, just on the edge of the six yards box but his shot sailed wide.
