Village keep Humble Lion on a leash

Monday, February 13, 2012

FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Village United continued their desperate bid to avoid relegation from the Red Stripe Premier League yesterday by holding high riding Humble Lion to a 0-0 draw in their third round game at the Elliston Wakeland Centre.

The teams created few chances in the game played under overcast and windy conditions and in front of just a few fans.

The point took Humble Lion to 36 ,while Village inched up to 20. According to new coach, Danilo Barriga, his team is getting closer to its goal of overtaking the two nearest opponents in Reno FC and Highgate United.

The Peruvian is the fourth coach to take charge of the Trelawny team this season after being in charge of Western Confederation Super League club Tomorrow's People for all this season.

After being in charge of Seba United, Reno and Waterhouse in the Premier league, Barriga is no stranger to the competition and says he has no doubts Village can survive.

"The players have to change their mentality and start thinking like professionals... the have talent but they must start thinking like professionals," he told the Observer.

Survival is the key for the club that got hit hard in the transfer period and Barriga said their only goal is to get past Reno and Highgate and to safety.

In only his second game with the club, he said the four points after a win against Sporting Central Academy on Wednesday is a good start.

The key yesterday, he said, was to limit midfielder Wolry Wolfe and not to allow the Humble Lion strikers too much space.

As a result of the tactic, goalscoring chances were few and far between yesterday for Humble Lion and the home team as well. Village's Dino Williams had an opportunity after his powerfully struck half volley in the 30th minute, just wide of the left post.

Jermaine Christian should have converted from point blank range for Humble Lion in the 51st minute, but the Village goalkeeper Keith Hamilton was equal to the task.

Ten minutes later former national youth representative Roy Forbes, who replaced Shaunavon McKenzie just minutes earlier, almost caught Humble Lion's goalkeeper Philmore Crumbie off balance with a long range shot that just missed his right upright.