- Junior DowieSTATHS' Claude Darling (right) moves away from Dunoon's Shawn Tavares during Manning Cup action at Tinson Pen yesterday. Dunoon won 2-0. See report 2B.
Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter
PREVIOUSLY UNBEATEN Village were reduced to mere spectators at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday when they were outplayed by hosts Arnett Gardens in a rescheduled Wray & Nephew National Premier League game.
Wednesday's planned encounter was rained out with the score locked at 0-0 but Arnett overran their opposition, carving out a 2-0 victory and handing them their first defeat of the season.
"We were outplayed. Arnett definitely played better ball and for the first 45 minutes all we could do was watch. We were totally helpless," said Edwin Alcock, a coach of Village.
Striker Walter Boyd hit the back of the net in the 32nd minute, then Kevin "Pele" Wilson scored in the 43rd minute to give the defending champions a two-goal advantage at halftime.
The standard of Village's game improved somewhat in the second half but they were clearly not a match for the Arnett posse.
"I think we broke down in midfield. They (Arnett) were more composed and definitely more aggressive," Alcock added.
Arnett's coach, Jerome Waite, wore a proud-as-a-peacock look at the end of the game and with good reason.
"We got the job done well so I have a good reason to smile. We ran for at least 60 minutes out of the game without easing up and during that time produced two goals," Waite said.
"We went out there to see what they had to offer but it turned out to be very little. They didn't have much to offer. Other than that it was a good game and I'm hopeful that we'll maintain this form."
The other rescheduled game between Constant Spring and Hazard ended in a 0-0 draw.
Played in front of a large crowd at the Constant Spring field, Hazard managed to hold the hosts at bay playing with only 10 men after midfielder Woolery Wolfe received a red card.
Hazard's coach, Lenworth Hyde, described the game as an evenly contested affair but thought his team could have done better despite the circumstances.
"Even before the red card we didn't play up to par. We played well for a draw although we could have done much better. We should have gotten more possession but I guess it's just one of those things," he said.
