Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter

Tivoli Gardens Football Club secured their first home win of the season and in the interim heaped more pressure on the winless Highgate, after beating them 3-1 in their sixth-round Red Stripe Premier League meeting yesterday at the Edward Seaga Complex.

Dane Kelly, with his third goal in two matches, led the scoring for Tivoli, as he netted in the fifth and 18th minutes, with Barrington Pryce (45+1) adding the home team's third. Highgate's consolation, which was only their second goal of the season, was scored in the 51st minute by Jerome Wedderburn.

Despite the result, Tivoli's head coach, Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, was not pleased with his team's performance.

"We were very inconsistent today, I am not pleased at all with the way we played," Bailey said.

"Maybe we were tentative because we haven't won at home from the season started, so we played too safe and it nearly cost us, as it disturbed our rhythm," he added.

Tivoli found the back of the net with the first meaningful attack of the game in the fifth minute, when Kelly's 20-yard speculative effort went through the hands of Highgate's keeper Ralston Robinson.

2-0 tivoli lead

Robinson again combined with Kelly to give Tivoli a 2-0 advantage in the 18th minute, when he failed to command his area and claim a ball which was played in by Keithy Simpson from a free kick on the left flank. The ball went through to strike the left upright before rebounding for Kelly to volley home from the edge of the six-yard box.

The sequence of defensive errors resulted in a verbal spat between several Highgate United players, as blame was openly levelled against Robinson for the concessions.

In response to teammate Carlos Barrett, who accused him of "giving away the game", Robinson walked to the left touchline and offered him his gloves to take over the keeping duties. Former Tivoli man Jerry Walters, who is now representing Highgate, had to usher Robinson back into goal.

Kelly missed the opportunity to register a first-half hat-trick when he misfired from four yards in the 38th minute.

Tivoli were not to be denied, however, as Pryce headed home their third goal in first half stoppage time from a left-sided corner.

Highgate came out more purposeful for the second half and were rewarded for their improved approach in the 51st minute when Wedderburn was on hand to convert on the half volley from the top of the 18-yard box, after Tivoli's custodian Edsel Scott had blocked Roen Nelson's initial effort.

The game was interrupted for a brief moment in the 75th minute when referee Raymond Bogle twisted his right knee after stepping in what he described as "a hole" in the middle of the field. He had to be taken off for treatment and was replaced by fourth official Karl Tyrell.

Highgate took control of the game in the latter stages and got many opportunities to score again, but the trio of Nelson, Wedderburn and Carlos Barrett were particularly wasteful.

"We have a serious problem in front of goal, we are just not scoring," Highgate's coach Calvin Lewis highlighted.

"Today, we could have scored eight or more goals and we didn't capitalise on it; second half was all Highgate, but we are just not scoring," he added.

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday's Results

Marvin Morgan (63rd)

Orlando McBayne (MoBay - 60th); Adoah Nickle (40th - Portmore); Maurice Gordon (51st - Portmore)

Dane Kelly (Tivoli - 5th, 18th); Barrington Pryce (45+1); Jerome Wedderburn (Highgate - 51st)

Savannah vs Humble Lion was not played due to persistent rain, accompanied by lightning

Today's Games

3:30 p.m. Sporting Central vs Waterhouse at Brancourt

6 p.m. Arnett Gardens vs Cavalier at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.