Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Tivoli's Jermaine Taylor (right) celebrates with Craig Stewart after scoring his team's third goal against Arnett Gardens in their Red Stripe Champions Cup semi-final at the National Stadium on Sunday night. Tivoli Gardens won 3-2. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TIVOLI GARDENS marched their way into the final of the Red Stripe Champions Cup knock-out competition following a 3-2 victory over Arnett Gardens at the National Stadium on sunday night.
It was a come-from-behind effort as the Junglists fired their way into the lead early through midfielder Jonathan Williams. Williams latched onto a Gerald Neil cross to head wide of a stranded Tivoli custodian Edsel Scott in the fourth minute.
However, once the goal was scored the game belonged to Tivoli Gardens as they strung passes together, penetrating the Arnett rearguard at will.
Though it seemed only a matter of time before they equalised, Tivoli's finishing was wayward and it would take them until the 33rd minute to find an equaliser. Jermaine Taylor rode the challenge of his would-be defender, darting down the right flank to eventually roll the ball across to Horace Howell who fired into an empty net.
Continuing to dominate in possession, Taylor would have the opportunity to put his team in the lead in the 87th minute, but this time, having received the ball from Howell, with the goal at his mercy, he booted high over the crossbar.
With the score tied at 1-1 in extra time it would take a header from substitute Nicholas McCreath, from a third straight Christopher Jackson corner in the 102nd minute to finally give Tivoli a well-deserved lead.
Taylor would make amends when he put them even further ahead in the 112th minute after latching onto a Fabian Davis free-kick from the right flank, for a tap-in effort at the far post. Arnett's Williams would find the back of the net with another header six minutes later, but it would prove to be just a consolation effort.
"We came out flat, but when they scored the first goal we took over the game and we could have won it in regulation time," said Tivoli coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey.
"That has been killing us all season, we have been creating chances and not putting them away. But at the end of the day we fought back and we played well tactically," he added.
For newly-appointed Arnett coach Bradley Stewart, who will now see his team finish without any silverware in any of the two national championships this season, it is work in progress.
"Everything is a process, I have not made all the adjustments I have wanted to. We scored early but then they took over our midfield," he said.
"We were missing some key players ... we played with a number of inexperienced players and that showed in our conceding so many corners and free-kicks. They got two goals from set plays," he added.
Tivoli will meet the winner of last night's late semi-final which featured last year's champions Portmore United and Waterhouse.
GOALSHEET
TIVOLI 3
Horace Howell 33rd, Nicholas McCreath 102nd, Jermaine Taylor 112th
ARNETT 2
Jonathan Williams 4th, 118th.
