By Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterOOPS! They did it again. Hazard United yesterday stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to 15 games, slamming Tivoli Gardens 4-1 in a display opposing coach Geoffrey Maxwell afterwards described as "magnificent and beautiful football" played by the four-point league leaders at Railway Oval.
Kevin Deerr scored Hazard's opening goal with a free-kick from 19 yards after nine minutes before orchestrating their second at the 18th, a far post header by Anthony Modeste off Ricardo Smith's cross.
Substitute Dwayne Richards pulled Tivoli within a goal seven minutes from the break, pouncing on a ball spilled by goalie Shawn Sawyers.
Richards' goal lifted Tivoli's spirits going into their clubhouse at 2-1 but striker Roen Nelson's precision inside the box made it 3-1 15 minutes after the resumption, squeezing a shot between goalie Steve Stephenson and his near post.
Hazard, now holding a clear lead atop the second round with 15 points, rubbed salt into Tivoli's wounds a minute from time when Wolry Wolfe's shot off Nelson's rebound was judged to have crossed the goal line before Craig White cleared.
The loss was punishing for Tivoli, keeping Maxwell's side on six second round points and fourth in the overall league standings.
The Railway Oval match-up was one of four dramatic encounters played between the Corporate Area and St. Catherine.
At Harbour View, Village United, who hadn't scored a goal in their last six games, led the homesters after five minutes off Gregory Simpson's early strike. However, two goals in 20 minutes by forward Fabian Taylor, (15th and 35th) put Harbour View 2-1 up before the break.
Village rallied to tie the game at 2-2 when Teofore Bennett netted in the 66th but midfielder Daniel Shaw turned off the lights on the visitors four minutes from time, pushing Harbour View to second in the overall standings on 35 points, two ahead of defending champions Arnett Gardens (33), who play Bull Bay at Harbour View today.
Over at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, Rivoli clawed themselves from a goal behind on three occasions to tie resurgent Wadadah 3-3 in a thriller.
Gregory Tape gave the visitors a 1-0 lead going into the break but Rae Graham pulled Rivoli 1-1 shortly after the resumption. Wadadah led again off Garth Botha's goal only to see lanky defender Omar Parker rally Rivoli to 2-2.
Lacon Brissett thought he had wrapped it up for Wadadah when he made it 3-2 but Garfield Reid scored what Rivoli coach Bradley Stewart said was a "scorching" free-kick in the 90th minute to deny the visitors three points.
The draw gave Wadadah their second point from two games on the road after tying Arnett 0-0 last Sunday, moving them closer to mid-table with five second round points.
Rivoli's inability to blend attack with defence showed them up again, keeping Stewart's side pinned on two second round points even though they're on 15 overall points.
The day's major joke was at Constant Spring where Danny Lyn's homesters, the most unpredictable side in the league, led Reno 1-0 before allowing the men from Westmoreland to equalise in the 83rd with a player ejected.
In stoppage time and further reduced to nine, Reno left Constant Spring Road with a famous victory when Garfield Brown netted in the 83rd for a 2-1 win.
Reno's win moved them to six second round points and 17 overall, leapfrogging Constant Spring stuck on four and 16 respectively.
In the only game scheduled for today defending champions and end of first round winners Arnett Gardens go up against Bull Bay at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium.
