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+--- Thread: TG Cannot Score to save their lives! (/thread-88.html)
TG Cannot Score to save their lives! - fbjnewsie - 25-02-2017
For the second game running, Tivoli Gardens FC assistant coach Damion Gordon was left lamenting his team’s finishing after a defeat in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL).
On Monday, they surrendered an early lead to fall 1-2 to struggling Harbour View FC in the feature game of a double-header at National Stadium.
In-form veteran attacker Jermaine Johnson gave Tivoli the lead in the sixth minute, but injury-troubled striker Luton Shelton (41st) and Kemar Bennett (62nd) gave Harbour View a surprise win.
Only last week, Tivoli Gardens — playing at home — went ahead, but were ambushed 2-3 by University of the West Indies (UWI).
Tivoli, who started the match day with the lead, fall to third with 42 points after two-straight defeats. They are a point behind leaders UWI.
Harbour View, who have won two on the trot in an otherwise dismal campaign so far, are eighth with 27 points.
“Execution [was missing]; we got a lot of chances today, even when Harbour View were 2-1 up, we got chances to score,” Gordon told the media during a post-match interview.
“The impact [on the RSPL points table] is not severe; it’s just about how we regroup and come again. It is football and winning and losing is a part of the game. You don’t want to be on the losing side, but we have to correct our errors and come again,” the Tivoli assistant coach added.
Shelton, who was previously playing club football in Russia and has been grounded by knee problems for the better part of two years, was pleased with Harbour View’s fightback.
“It was a very hard game and Tivoli are a competitive team. They are very aggressive and not an easy team to break down. We did well to take our chances and things look good going forward,” the former Reggae Boyz striker told the Jamaica Observer.
But it was all Tivoli in the first half in cool, evening conditions on Monday.
And the dominance told from as early the sixth minute when Junior McGregor fed a pass to Johnson, who held off a challenge before lodging into the net.
In the midst of a series of opportunities that fell to Tivoli, Marvin Stewart could have made it two-nil, but he cut inside a defender and shot weakly at goalkeeper Christian Kluvi from close range.
But Shelton, who appeared to be ambling about harmlessly for the opening 40 minutes, rose high to direct a header beyond the reach of goalkeeper Davin Watkins to shock Tivoli Gardens.
Shelton, after sustaining a knock, did not return for the second half, but his teammates slowly wrested the ascendancy.
It came as no surprise when Bennett bravely threw himself to turn in Hugh Evans’ swerving cross from the left side to give them the lead.
The hard-running Johnson crafted a couple of chances for Tivoli, but they failed to materialise into a goal.
Teams:
Tivoli Gardens — Davin Watkins, Kevin Graham, Barrington Pryce, Kemar Seivwright, Nicholas Smith, Marvin Stewart, Tevin Shaw, Miguel Ricketts (Ajuma Johnson 68th), Junior McGregor (Howard Morris 69th), Jermaine Johnson, Peter Keyes (Donavon Dawkins 72nd).
Subs not used: Nicholas Clarke, Rushane Facey, Jermaine Parris, Arthur Walters
Booked: Johnson (71st), Seivwright (85th)
Harbour View — Christian Kluvi, Hugh Evans, Javain Brown, Evan Taylor, Rashawn Mackison (John-Ross Edwards 68th), Nicholas Beckett, Fabian Grant, Kemar Bennett (Sheldon McKoy 81st), Akeem Priestly, McKauly Tulloch, Luton Shelton (Michael Martin 46th).
Subs not used: Devon Haughton, Damarley Oliver, Clayon Pusey, Andre Messam
Booked: Evans (90+5)
Referee: Dwight Royal
Assistant referees: Jermaine Yee Sing, Oyinco McTaggart
Fourth official: Okeito Nicholson
Match Commissary: Richard Nathan