Paul Clarke, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Savannah suffered a third-consecutive home loss, stumbling 1-0 to bottom-place team Highgate United in a Red Stripe Premier League match at the Frome Sports Complex on Sunday.

It was a fortuitous goal from Carlos Barrett that salvaged the St Mary team's first win of the season, while condemning Savannah to a fourth loss of the campaign.

The slippery underfoot conditions apparently did not trouble the visitors, as Barrett and Jerome Wedderburn troubled the makeshift Savannah defence with a number of telling passes and attempts that had Gavin Barrett in goal for Savannah scampering to make save after save.

The first real chance of the contest, however, fell to Severo Murphy, when the player sliced through the home team's defence before being charged down by an onrushing defender and the ball rolled wide.

Dennis Neish almost gave the Calvin Lewis-coached Highgate the lead in the 23rd minute, when a neatly weighted pass from the right flank skipped over his outstretched leg inside the six-yard box.

That was enough warning but Savannah failed to take heed and in the 32nd minute Barrett made them pay.

His weak effort barely looked anything special, but the ball took a wicked bounce just before the goalkeeper could collect and spun away into the back of the net for what turned out to be the only goal of the contest.

Maurice Evans, meanwhile, the Highgate keeper, never had a single save in the 90 plus minutes of the game, with the closest attempt coming from the tireless Shane Anderson, whose attempt zipped wide from 23 yards out.

Spirits lifted

The win has lifted the spirits of Highgate's coach Lewis, whose post-match comments showed his relief.

"It's a great feeling. It took us eight matches to get this first one. It's a good one too because all season we have been playing well, except that we not been scoring. Today we got one and it feels good," said Lewis.

"We now want to build on this victory and make some progress in the standings."

But for the Savannah coaching staff, it was a bitter pill to take.

"We just not playing to plan right now, so that's worrisome," explained assistant coach Audley Thomas.

"This result is not what we planned for. It is disappointing but we hope to correct it soon but we are not panicking; it's a long season," he said.