RIVOLI United moved three points further from the relegation zone when they outscored August Town 3-2 in Wednesday’s late Digicel Premier League game at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

Devon Hodges scored two goals to take his tally to 17 for the season — four ahead of Kevin Lamey and Navion Boyd — while midfielder David Lewis got the other goal for the winners.

The visitors threatened to pull off an unlikely comeback with late goals from Akeem Thenstead and substitute Raymond Williamson.

The win keeps Rivoli in ninth place on 42 points, while August Town remain at the foot of the 12- team table on 36.

The game came to life midway the first half when August Town’s national representative Fabian Dawkins was substituted after being injured while challenging for a loose ball in the box.

His replacement, Kemel Mullings, was immediately in the action and missed two glorious chances to put his team ahead when he miscued point-blank goal attempts within minutes of each other.

Hodges made the visitors pay when he rose unmarked to nod in Kemar Brown’s left- sided cross in the 40th minute.

With 60 minutes on the clock, Lewis latched onto a long ball through the heart of the August Town defence to blast a half- volley into the net and send his team 2-0 up.

August Town’s influential midfielder Daniel Shaw then broke down Rivoli’s backline in the 72nd with a neatly threaded pass to Thenstead, who powered a beauty beyond goalkeeper Leon Goffe.

It took just three minutes for Rivoli to reclaim their two-goal advantage as Martin King held his position well on the right flank before squaring accurately for an again unmarked Hodges to volley spectacularly past Devon Haughton in goal.

Despite the deficit, August Town refused to give up and were rewarded two minutes from regular time when Williamson jumped high to powerfully head in a Shaw corner.

TEAMS:

Rivoli — Leon Goffe, Martin King, Ricardo Knight (Barrington Planter, 46th), Christopher Hayles, Fabian Gordon, Omar Barker, David Lewis (Derrick Planter, 80th), Devon Hodges, Kirk Ramsay (Mark Newsome, 84th), Kemar Brown, Devon Powell

Subs not used: O Barker, C Coke, L Soares, M Henry

Booked: Hodges (41st), King (56th), Lewis (66th), Brown (82nd)

August Town — Devon Haughton, Odain Simpson, Kevin Henzil, Rohan McDonald, Jermaine Fletcher (Jamalie Richards 83rd), Daniel Shaw, Akeem Thenstead, Aphas Bernard, Fabian Dawkins (Kemel Mullings 23rd), Ajuran Brown, Teafore Bennett (Raymond Williamson 63rd)

Subs not used: D Grandson, N Smith, M Miller, D Haughton

Booked: None

Referee: Oneal Clayton

Assistants: Malachi Brown, Nicholas Anderson

Fourth Official: Wilverglen Lamey

Match Commissary: Charles Barrett