Sporting rally for point against Arnett

Oshane Tobias

Monday, February 13, 2012

CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — Sporting Central Academy started life without coach Vassell Reynolds with an exciting 1-1 draw against Arnett Gardens in yesterday's Red Stripe Premier League game at Brancourt.

News surfaced just before kick-off that Sporting and Reynolds parted company by mutual consent late last week, but the Clarendon side showed no signs of hangover during the game as they rallied for a deserved stalemate.

Newton Sterling gave Arnett Gardens the lead on 27 minutes after deflecting Jonathan Williams' 18-yard shot past goalkeeper Carlloyd Walters.

Sporting equalised just after the re-start through Francois Swaby's tantalizing overhead volley — which set up a frantic finale at Clarendon Park as both sides searched for a winner.

The last 40 minutes saw the sides serving up some up eye-catching football with Arnett carving out the better goalscoring opportunities, but Sporting were not to be denied as they also had chances to complete a hat-trick of wins over their KSAFA opponents.

In the end, a draw will seem like a fair result to the neutrals, but Arnett coach Paul 'Tegat' Davis thought his side should have come out on top.

"It's a bit disappointing because we got a wounded Sporting team, so we should have capitalised. We created the better chances and they only got one... but a point is not bad, seeing that we always come here and lose," he said.

The result leaves Arnett 10 points clear of the relegation zone and at least two shy of the targeted top-six.

For Sporting, it might not be a bad result, given recent developments, but with just seven points separating them from 11th-placed Reno, who played Harbour View in a late kick-off, a win would have been ideal.

"I think we could have won the game, but such is football. If you don't score you can't win," said coach Nigel Stewart, who was promoted from the Under-21 team to guide the premiership side for the rest of the season.