Arnett winning run ends with home draw

The record-setting winning run of 10 straight matches in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) by leaders Arnett Gardens came to an end on Monday night at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Arnett Gardens played to a

0-0 draw with defending champions Montego Bay United, the team that last defeated them in the league - a 5-0 thrashing.

As that thumping provided a rethinking of strategies, coach Jerome Waite has indicated that Monday night's result will do the same for the group. Unlike that time, though, they do not intend to take a 180-degree turn.

"Our next game is against Humble Lion and we have a couple games to see how best we can rotate these players because they will get a little jaded here and there and we need to be at our best always," explained Waite, whose team maintained a nine-point lead over Montego Bay United at the top of the table.

He added: "This is the first time that it (10-win record) has happened in our country and you have to appreciate these youngsters. They have done extremely well and we were looking for another three points, but it did not happen."

Montego Bay United's Carlos Garcia was less pleased than Waite with the result.

"I was not satisfied with the result. We came here for three points and we did enough to get them. Maybe we are a little bit unfortunate and on the finishing. We were very, very dominant on a difficult field, especially in the second half. We were able to push them back and dominate the game," said a disappointed Garcia, whose team has been on a winless run.

Good game

But while he was disappointed with the result, he was encouraged by the performance. The results, he said, would improve with the return of key players Dino Williams, Omar Gordon, Leslie St Fleur and Fabian McCarthy.

"We lost Omar, Dino and Leslie for one month and McCarthy for two months, and I think this is the first match that we have everybody available, and we will get better.

"We are playing very, very good. Playing so many passes and playing a style that is different to the rest of the teams. Today we could have been more precise up front. We could have won, but we got a point. Once we are able to score, we will get more points," the Spaniard said.