By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Arnett Gardens striker Kevin Wilson, back to camera, and Hazard United's defender Adrien Mitchell, hold onto each other while challenging for possession during their Wray & Nephew National Premier League match at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday. The game ended 0-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
HAZARD'S WINNING second round run ended yesterday when they played to a 0-0 draw in the Wray & Nephew National Premier League with defending and end of first round champions Arnett Gardens at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
No team were able to capitalise on Hazard's slip up as their nearest rivals, Harbour View, fell 0-1 at home to Tivoli Gardens through a Nashan Allen 46th minute strike. Harbour View's loss saw them remaining on 16, slipping to six points behind the leaders.
Waterhouse continued their revival with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Reno at Emmet Park to pull up alongside Harbour View on 16 points.
At Prison Oval Village United recorded their third victory on the trot, stopping the home team Rivoli 3-1. A double strike from Teofore Bennett in the 53rd and 87th minutes, along with a 72nd minute strike by Shane Crawford, put them on their way, while Ray Graham found one for Rivoli in the 67th minute.
The inconsistency of Constant Spring became more constant yesterday as they followed up last week's 1-0 win over Rivoli with a 0-1 loss at home to Wadadah who inched above them and out of the bottom three.
Any matchup between the defending champion Arnett Gardens and Hazard, the team which believe they should be champions, is bound to be exciting.
Yesterday's was no different. No goals were scored but spectators were entertained by its competitiveness.
The draw ended a two-match losing streak for Arnett, which have now gone seven games without tasting victory. Their coach was heartened by the result.
"The team was rejuvenated and played well," said Arnett Gardens coach Jerome Waite. "It is a good sign. The holidays are gone which means that there is no enjoyment for the players to get themselves involved in," he continued, indicating that the focus was back on football.
Hazard's Lenworth Hyde, who had set a target of 11 wins for the round, was a little disappointed with the draw.
"I am a little bit disappointed especially in the first half," said Hyde. "The intensity was not there."
After a talk at the interval Hyde said his team showed improvement.
"In the second half there was an improvement as we spoke to them. It was an exciting game for the spectators. The goalkeepers had a lot of work to do." Arnett Gardens, playing without a number of their key players, looked a very composed unit which played with a lot of aggression early. They took the fight to their star-studded opponents and should have taken the lead in the seventh minute when Kevin Wilson, sent clear, got off a feeble right footer straight at the advancing Maurice Evans.
Hazard took a little longer to find their footing and from the middle towards the end of the first half both teams continued to create chance after chance but would not find the net.
Hazard almost went into the half with the lead when a well-struck Nelson freekick from just outside the 18-yard box beat Julian McLeish in the Arnett goal but struck the crossbar.
The second half was a different one for Hazard as they introduced the pacy Andrew Morrison, who proved a constant threat with his dribbling for the Arnett defence which did a good job of keeping out Nelson and Deerr with Oneil Dunn and Shane Stevens respectively.
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS:
| Arnett | 0 | Hazard | 0 |
| Harbour View | 0 | Tivoli Gardens | 1 |
| Constant Spring | 0 | Wadadah | 1 |
| Waterhouse | 2 | Reno | 1 |
| Rivoli | 1 | Village | 3 |
