DELIGHT, then dissatisfaction swept the Arnett Gardens camp as the team registered a 1-0 victory over Portmore United in a Digicel Premier League match at Ferdie Neita Sports Complex on Sunday.

Slender 17-year-old sensation Javoni Simms continued to earn his keep at Arnett with his 27th minute strike, but the ‘Junglists’ had stopped celebrating by the end of regulation time after Newton Sterling, who ironically came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Simms, was ejected by referee Kevin Morrison for using “foul, abusive, and insulting language”.

Sterling’s expulsion in the 86th minute came after stones were allegedly thrown by supporters at the Arnett goalkeeper Damion Hyatt, and with the supposed threat, referee Morrison was reported to have instructed the custodian to keep playing.

An unhappy Sterling then approached the referee about his directive and was later shown the red card after a brief exchange of words.

The resulting display of displeasure by the Arnett Gardens supporters in response to the ref’s decision was a stark contrast to the celebration which had gone on before when Simms calmly collected the ball and delivered it to the left corner of Portmore custodian Garice McPherson.

It was an intense first half, which resulted in Portmore’s Alanzo Adlam receiving medical treatment for a laceration he sustained during a clash with Arnett’s tough-tackling defender Gerald Neil.

Arnett coach, Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis, said his players were not as aggressive as he would have liked.

“We came under a little pressure in the second half, but I think they (Arnett) showed up and fought gallantly,” he said.

Like a scratch recording, Portmore’s Linval Dixon repeated his team’s season-long shortcoming.

“Our downfall is not scoring. For the entire season that’s our major problem… that’s one of the things that we keep on working at,” he said.

Teams:

Portmore — Garice McPherson, Keithy Simpson,

Adrian Reid, Bryan Bayliss, Eric Vernan,

Andrew Vanzie (John-Ross Doyle 61st),

Shauntel Mundle, Ricardo Cousins,

Alanzo Adlam (Odoah Nickles 75th), Errol

Stevens (Andrew Christie 70th).

Subs not used: Steven Morrisey, Demetious Brown,

Upston Edwards, Craig Gayle, Ricardo Bedward

Booked: Vernan (40th)

Arnett Gardens — Damion Hyatt, Gerald Neil, Rohan

Reid, Ricardo Smith, Ricardo Dennis, Kirk Ramsay,

Andre Wheeler (Rasheede Clarke 77th), Ryan Powell,

Dennis McKinley (Omar Campbell 52nd), Garfield

Gillespie, Javoni Simms (Newton Sterling 61st).

Subs not used: Maurice Evans, Dwayne Gaynor,

Ricardo Oldham, Omar Gordon

Booked: Neil (37th), Sterling (ejected 86th)

Referee: Kevin Morrison

Assistants: Garnet Page, Malachi Brown

Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle

Match Commissary: Elaine Walker-Brown