Cavalier clip Arnett in thriller
Published:Monday | January 17, 2022 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Cavalier’s assistant coach, David Laylor, has hailed the quality and resilience of his team after they scored a thrilling injury-time 2-1 win over Arnett Gardens in the opening Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence yesterday. After taking a 59th minute lead through Jamoi Topey’s header, Cavalier surrendered a late equaliser when Chevaney Willis beat Jaedine White with a low strike in added time.
However, substitute Shaniel Thomas ensured that defending champions Cavalier pocketed all three points when he took a pass inside the area and slammed a low shot past William Price in goal for Arnett Gardens.
Laylor said despite conceding the equaliser that late in the game, his team showed the quality and resilience to secure the win.
“It was a championship performance,” he said. “We performed well. Arnett Gardens got back at 1-1, but we showed that we could still go a notch up and claim victory,” a beaming Laylor said. He added that he expects his young players to get even better as the season progresses.
“We are satisfied with the quality of the youngsters. They are a work in progress and are improving.
“They got a little taste last year and they are now maturing in their second season, so it is good for us to have them,” he stated.
Cavalier had the better chances of an evenly contested match. In the first half, Kyle Ming steered one wide from point-blank range and Dwayne Atkinson and Colin Anderson hit the bar.
Arnett came close through Ronaldo Cephas, but goalkeeper Jaedine White did well to deny him from six yards.
Cavalier took the lead when Topey nodded home from a corner on the hour.
GOOD SAVE
After the break, Atkinson pulled off a good save from William Price, and Fabian Reid had an effort just wide from inside the box for Arnett.
Willis then thought he had snatched a point for the ‘Junglists’ with a low strike deep into added time.
However, Thomas broke their hearts with a late strike a minute later.
Arnett’s assistant coach, Eric Rademakers, said the team showed in moments what they are capable of but that there was a lot more they could bring.
“There is a lot of work to be done. We did create chances, but it’s just the finishing. You need to put it in the back of the net for the attack to be successful, and in the last minute the full focus has to be there,” he said. In the day’s second game, Waterhouse came from behind to beat 10-man Montego Bay United 2-1. Ewan Burton, of Montego Bay United, was dismissed two minutes into the second half for dangerous play.
Waterhouse had the better of the early exchanges and chances through Javon James, Damion Binns, and Cardel Benbow.
However, Montego Bay were in no way outclassed and had chances of their own through Nazime Grant, Barton, and Alrick Ottey. Ottey had the two best chances, the second of which he put wide of an empty goal.
Despite playing with 10 men, Montego Bay took the lead, courtesy of a goal by Geovanni Reid in the 69th minute.
However, two minutes later, Andre Fletcher equalised from the penalty spot, and then in the 81st minute, Devroy Grey turned home Thomas’ cross to steal all three points for Waterhouse.