Arnett Gardens and Reno played to a 1-1 draw in their Digicel Premier League (DPL) match at the Tony Spaulding Sport Complex on Sunday to remain in seventh and eighth places on 31 and 29 points, respectively.

Craig Foster fired the visitors ahead after 18 minutes. However, Garfield Gillespie ensured his team a share of the points with an equaliser four minutes before half-time.

Visiting coach Michael Graham was happy to come away with a point, but believed they could have taken more from the game.

“This really has been plaguing us since the start of the competition. Regularly we go out and take the lead on teams and don’t consolidate at the end.

“But we needed three points, we got a point from this game and we’ll take it and move on,” he said.

His counterpart, Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis said it was two points dropped by his team.

“But the second round has just started, so we can’t be fretting already, we just have to continue doing our best,” he stressed.

Reno started the better of the two sides and after breaching the hosts defence on a number of occasions with penetrating runs they eventually took the lead when Foster stole in behind the Arnett defence to fire an unstoppable shot past Julian McLeish in goal.

Foster should have added another 10 minutes before the break, but he miss-kicked after Kemar Dawkins knocked down a header for the onrushing striker inside the six-yard area.

However, despite playing second fiddle, Arnett were back on level terms four minutes before the break.

Ricardo Smith delivered a precise free-kick over the Reno defence and Gillespie came in at the back post to head past Gavin Barrett in goal.

The lively Ricardo Stern, who came on five minutes before the interval, was very influential as the host sought the winning goal in the second-half.

Fifty-three minutes into the contest, the pint-size forward fired a low shot across the face of goal, but Kirk Ramsey could not arrive in time to get the all important touch towards goal.

A minute later, the former Tivoli Gardens Front man beat Andre Patterson for pace going down the right before putting over a tantalising cross which fell at the boot of Ricardo Dennis, whose shot from the edge of the area was disappointing.

In the 65th minute, Stern again came close but his flicked on header just missed the target from another Smith delivery from a set-piece.

Reno also had two great chances to steal the three points in the latter stages of the game.

With 12 minutes remaining Foster stole possession inside Arnett’s half before releasing Dawkins, whose tame shot failed to beat McLeish.

Then in the 86th minute, Linval Wilson rose above the Arnett defence only to place his header just wide of the target from a corner.

But Ramsey could have stolen the win for Arnett Gardens in the final minutes of the match when he latched onto a cross from Dennis, but his well struck volley was well smothered by Barrett.

Teams: Arnett Gardens — Julian McLeish, Marvin Stewart (Andre Wheeler 70th), Ryan Powell, Gerald Neil, Ricardo Smith (Omar Campbell 77th), Rohan Reid, Garfield Gillespie, Leon Strickland, Fabian Reid (Ricardo Stern 40th), Kirk Ramsey, Ricardo Dennis.

Booked: Gillespie (36th).

Subs not used: D Hyatt, N Anderson, V Manning.

Reno — Omar Dallas, Linval Wilson, O’brian Woodbine, Kenroy Hutchinson (Delroy Phillips 77th), Troy Reid (Jeffrey Leslie 92nd), Evan Taylor, Craig Foster, Kemar Dawkins, Gavin Barrett, Joshane Foster, Desmond Montique (Andre Patterson 56th).

Booked: Taylor (24th).

Subs not used: D Thorpe, O Johnson, M Richards, S Anderson.

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Lloyd Reader, Damion Williams

Fourth Official: Dave Peterkin

Match Commissary: Norman Blair