Santos, Arnett in no-match standoff

A no-match controversy at Santos and some minor first-leg upsets were the order of the day in the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Yellow Pages Jackie Bell KO across the Corporate Area yesterday.

The feature match between Premier League outfit Arnett Gardens and former local kingpins Santos, who play in the Super League, was not played because of an apparent mix-up in the scheduling of the match from Tuesday.

When the Arnett Gardens team turned up at the Bell/Chung Oval, the gates were closed and they were told no match would be played.

KSAFA president Rudolph Speid told the Jamaica Observer a ruling on the matter is expected next Tuesday.

"This is the first in KSAFA that a team has been locked out. Based on what I know, 48 hours' notice was given to both teams and I expect the competition's Committee to deal with it next Tuesday at their weekly meeting," said Speid.

Meanwhile, Santos coach Carlton "Spanner" Dennis refuted claims his club had failed to honour its fixture.

"I'm really disappointed and I'm going to appeal the decision. They're disrespecting us because they want us to play three games in six days, but Arnett couldn't play three games in six days, so one club is bigger than one," Dennis argued.

"We didn't violate anything. They changed the fixture and didn't tell us. They are dealing with it unprofessionally," he added.

According to Dennis, they had two dates with Arnett on January 8 and 15, but adequate notice was not given, especially since he prepared his home field for the match on Tuesday and could not ask employers to release players from work again this week.

In games played yesterday, unheralded Whitfield Town stunned Waterhouse, 2-1, in at Tinson Pen on the back of a double strike from Christopher Weston in the 22nd and 49th minute. Whitfield Town play in the Syd Bartlett League, which is three divisions lower than Waterhouse.

Asunie Smith pulled back a crucial goal for Waterhouse in the 90+1 minute.

Another Premier League campaigner, Cavalier, succumbed 0-1 to Major League side Maxfield Park. Keno Simpson netted in the 23rd for home team Maxfield.

Premier League leaders Harbour View threw away a two-goal advantage and were pegged back 2-2 by Mountain View.

Harbour View, who have a five-point lead in the top-tier league, raced to a 2-0 lead on a bumpy and difficult surface at the Excelsior High, but left disappointed after failing to put the game away.

Left-back Kimorlee Brissett's tame cross-turned-shot crept under goalkeeper Dwayne Colley in the 38th before former National Under-20 midfielder Romario Campbell worked his magic, dismissing a player and the goalkeeper before teeing-up Roland Dean for a tap-in in the 56th.

But the home team, led by veteran midfielder Jahmiah Pettigrew, responded with two goals in five minutes for the Super League outfit. Shawn McDonald headed home in the 76th, before Kevin "Keegan" Blair fired home in the 81st, setting the stage for what could be an intriguing return leg at Harbour View.

Mountain View's coach Wayne Campbell was the more satisfied of the two coaches. "Considering that we were playing the Premier League leaders and... that we came from two goals down, it's even a more impressive result," he confirmed.

Harbour View's Vin Blaine was disappointed after failing to dismiss their opponents.

"We brought in a team and were looking at some players because we have a game on Sunday, so we rested the first team players," Blaine explained.

"The conditions weren't the best, but we went up 2-0 and they have to learn that complacency must not sit in, and that's what happened today," he added.