Cavalier blank Molynes 3-0 with second-half blitz

Second-half goals from Dwayne Atkinson, Justin Dunn, and Richard King saw Cavalier to only their second win in seven games after blanking Molynes United 3-0 in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.

Atkinson, just back from injury, opened the scoring after 52 minutes. Dunn made it 2-0 in the 64th, and King sealed the win with an 87th-minute freekick.

It has been some time since coach Rudolph Speid saw the best from his team and he thought it was a pretty comfortable win.

“It was comfortable, but I still think we didn’t play very well. So that is something we have to think about.

“We were very lethargic. We did not play with any amount of venom, especially in the first half. We were waiting for something to happen more than forcing the pace to get it, and these things usually happen when you play a team very often and always get three points.

“But I am grateful that the second half we stepped up a little, and I think we are becoming a second-half team,” he stated.

Cavalier dominated the early proceedings, and Shaquille Stein was guilty of not putting his team ahead, with two chances early in the contest.

King, and then Stein, both had good opportunities to strike at goal in the 23rd minute, but neither was able to convert.

Dwayne Allen almost put Cavalier ahead before the half-time break, but his header was cleared off the line.

However, Cavalier took the lead seven minutes into the second half when Atkinson beat goalkeeper Carlos Robinson to a 50-50 ball and slipped the ball around a defender for the opener.

Dunn added the second in the 64th when the Molynes defence failed to clear a long pass into the 18-yard area, and the ball sat up nicely for Dunn, who buried the chance from seven yards out.

Molynes’ best chance for a goal came from Peter McGregor’s deflected freekick, but Vino Barclett showed lightning reflexes to deny the chance.

King then sealed the win, three minutes from time, with a curling freekick into the top corner.

“We conceded a very soft one first of all. But after we conceded, I thought we were really poor. We were not in it and then we conceded the other goal very fast and that threw us off,” said Molynes coach Jermaine Thomas.

“As a team we could have done way better in how we conceded the first and the second goals, but I saw some positives. For most of the game we kept our shape and pressed when we needed to and got behind them a few times, but it just never worked. So we just have to come again.”

Cavalier moved to fourth on 41 points while Molynes are 10th on 23 points.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s results

Molynes 0-3 Cavalier

Chapelton 1-1 Vere-Phoenix

Dunbeholden 1-0 Waterhouse

Racing 1-1 Portmore

Harbour View 0-1 Arnett

Today’s games

5 p.m: Mount Pleasant vs Humble Lion

7:45 p.m: Montego Bay vs Tivoli

Both games will be played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex