Boys’ Town FC sunk deeper in relegation mire after a 1-2 loss to semi-final chasing Humble Lion FC in the first game of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) double-header at National Stadium on Monday.
Perry Bartley, standing in for absent Boys’ Town Head Coach Andrew Price, saw his team take the lead through Rafiek Thomas in the eighth minute.
However, Humble Lion’s Jermaine Christian hit the equaliser in the 24th minute and Ricardo Dennis struck the winning goal for the Clarendon-based team in the 36th minute.
Boys’ Town are last in the 12-team standing, with 16 points from 23 games. Humble Lion, hunting a place in the RSPL semi-finals, are fourth with 42 points.
The top two teams at the end of 33 preliminary games will automatically advance to the league semi-finals. The next four teams finishing between third and sixth will battle for the remaining two places.
The two teams with fewest points will be relegated.
“The objective was to come out and dominate the first half and hold them for the second half. We made mistakes and we conceded goals,” experienced Boys’ Town’s wing back Xavian Virgo told journalists after the game.
Despite the victory, Humble Lion Coach Donovan Duckie walked away with some degree of displeasure.
“I’m very disappointed. You need to be more mature as a team if you have title intentions. We just did not do well tonight, but we give thanks for the result,” he said.
Former champions Boys’ Town, looking set to suffer the ignominy of demotion from the nation’s top-flight football competition, got a shot in the arm in the early exchanges.
Thomas — returning to the club after an unsuccessful stint with Humble Lion — got the opening goal.
But Christian settled Humble Lion with a low strike from inside the 18-yard box in the 24th minute.
Humble Lion, who opened cracks in the Boys’ Town defence in the first half, took the lead when Ricardo Dennis broke through on goal in the 36th minute to angle home a low effort.
Humble Lion had several chances to widen the advantage in the second period but failed to convert.
Teams:
Boys’ Town
— Shavon Wilson (Rushane Campbell 46th), Pierre McPherson, Ricardo Dennis, Anthony Dawes, Xavian Virgo, Garfield Gillespie, Chavaney Willis, Jamiel Hardware, Andrew Allen (Michael Campbell 65th), Shamar Nicholson, Rafiek Thomas (Orlando Brown 81st)
Subs not used: Kevon Wilson, Kimarley Fray, Tarique Campbell, Lennox Cargill
Booked: Gillespie (45th)
Humble Lion — Kadeem Davis, Ricardo Campbell, Kevon Reid, Hughan Gray, Dwayne Holmes, Jermaine Christian, Kevaughn Isaacs (Wolry Wolfe 67th), Ricardo Dennis (Gregory Lewis 67th), Leaughn Williams (Francois Swaby 61st), Devon Hodges, Andrew Vanzie
Subs not used: Sanchez Lloyd, Kirk Duckworth, Hugh Howell, Rafe Wolfe
Booked: Holmes (63rd)
Referee: Odette Hamilton
Assistant Referees: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing, Jassett Kerr
Fourth official: Doyen Tummings
Match commissary: Norman Blair
Perry Bartley, standing in for absent Boys’ Town Head Coach Andrew Price, saw his team take the lead through Rafiek Thomas in the eighth minute.
However, Humble Lion’s Jermaine Christian hit the equaliser in the 24th minute and Ricardo Dennis struck the winning goal for the Clarendon-based team in the 36th minute.
Boys’ Town are last in the 12-team standing, with 16 points from 23 games. Humble Lion, hunting a place in the RSPL semi-finals, are fourth with 42 points.
The top two teams at the end of 33 preliminary games will automatically advance to the league semi-finals. The next four teams finishing between third and sixth will battle for the remaining two places.
The two teams with fewest points will be relegated.
“The objective was to come out and dominate the first half and hold them for the second half. We made mistakes and we conceded goals,” experienced Boys’ Town’s wing back Xavian Virgo told journalists after the game.
Despite the victory, Humble Lion Coach Donovan Duckie walked away with some degree of displeasure.
“I’m very disappointed. You need to be more mature as a team if you have title intentions. We just did not do well tonight, but we give thanks for the result,” he said.
Former champions Boys’ Town, looking set to suffer the ignominy of demotion from the nation’s top-flight football competition, got a shot in the arm in the early exchanges.
Thomas — returning to the club after an unsuccessful stint with Humble Lion — got the opening goal.
But Christian settled Humble Lion with a low strike from inside the 18-yard box in the 24th minute.
Humble Lion, who opened cracks in the Boys’ Town defence in the first half, took the lead when Ricardo Dennis broke through on goal in the 36th minute to angle home a low effort.
Humble Lion had several chances to widen the advantage in the second period but failed to convert.
Teams:
Boys’ Town
— Shavon Wilson (Rushane Campbell 46th), Pierre McPherson, Ricardo Dennis, Anthony Dawes, Xavian Virgo, Garfield Gillespie, Chavaney Willis, Jamiel Hardware, Andrew Allen (Michael Campbell 65th), Shamar Nicholson, Rafiek Thomas (Orlando Brown 81st)
Subs not used: Kevon Wilson, Kimarley Fray, Tarique Campbell, Lennox Cargill
Booked: Gillespie (45th)
Humble Lion — Kadeem Davis, Ricardo Campbell, Kevon Reid, Hughan Gray, Dwayne Holmes, Jermaine Christian, Kevaughn Isaacs (Wolry Wolfe 67th), Ricardo Dennis (Gregory Lewis 67th), Leaughn Williams (Francois Swaby 61st), Devon Hodges, Andrew Vanzie
Subs not used: Sanchez Lloyd, Kirk Duckworth, Hugh Howell, Rafe Wolfe
Booked: Holmes (63rd)
Referee: Odette Hamilton
Assistant Referees: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing, Jassett Kerr
Fourth official: Doyen Tummings
Match commissary: Norman Blair