FALMOUTH, Trelawny — A smooth flowing Village United yesterday bushwhacked defending champions Tivoli Gardens with a stunning 2-0 victory here at the Elleston Wakeland Sports Complex, which put a major dent in the west Kingston-based team’s defence of the Digicel Premier League (DPL) title.

The Lenworth Hyde -coached team which started the game on 66 point, just one adrift of leaders Harbour View, were stumped from two first half goals by Dino Williams (10th minute) and Delroy Ellis (22th minute).

It was a sweet revenge for Village, having suffered from three consequtive defeats at the hands of Tivoli in all their three previous encounters. It was the first time that the Villagers were scoring on Tivoli since the start of the season.

” I think everybody put the effort that we have been asking for. Players had it in their heads that we played Tivoli in three previous encounters and they beat us, so we couldn’t allow them to beat us the fourth time. They were determined to win,” winning coach Cassman Williams told the Observer.

On the other hand, Hyde rued the outcome of the game which he said weakened his chances of defending the title.

” We didn’t started out well in the first half. We started flat and I don’t know the reason for that. You can’t be in a position like this where we need three points and you start out like that,” lamented Hyde.

With just eight minutes on referee Raymond Bogle’s watch , Village took the lead even as the teams were settling into a rhythm. Delroy Ellis sped down the left flank and curled one over sweetly to Williams who collected on the volley and fired past Edsel Scott in goal for Tivoli.

Twelve minutes later, the woes of the title-chasing Tivoli deepened. Ellis wormed his way into the penalty box and fired powerfully to the left of Scott who could only parry back to Ellis.

Tivoli came out in the second half blazing on all cylinders in search of the goals to pull level but were either let down by poor finishing from their players or stout defending by the Village players.

Teams:

Tivoli — Edsel Scott, Kemar Flemmings, Kasai Hinds, Victor Thompson, Christopher Jackson, Jameel Thompson, Kemmear Daley (Irvino English 65th), Jermaine Rickett, Jerry Walters (Dane kelly 58th), Roland Dean (Errol Stevens 73rd) and Navion Boyd

Subs not used: Leon Gordon, Jermaine Taylor, Damion Gordon and Nackwayne Parchment.

Booked: Jameel Thompson (70th)

Village United — Kemar Llewllyn, Derrick Henry (Ronique Francis 57th), Andre Moore, Jerome Eccleston, Fitzroy Campbell, Troy Smith, Oliver Trail, Everett Mullings (Allan Ottey 75th), Dino Williams, Delroy Ellis, and Lance Laing.

Subs not used: Shavar Campbell, Nicholi Barrett, Mauracio Gordon and Ronaldo Rodney.

Booked: Andre Moore (89th) and Lance Laing (82nd)

Referee: Raymond Bogle

Assistants: Stephen Brown and Nicholas Anderson

Fourth Official: Gregory Daley

Match Commissary: Fitzroy Reid