HIGHGATE Football Club jumped to the top of the Digicel Premier League (DPL) play-offs standings yesterday after scoring a convincing 2-0 win over 10-man Cavalier at the Tony Spaulding Complex.

Goals from Jerome Drummond (13th minutes) and Orett Richards (45th) carried the St Mary aggregation to the first win of the campaign and atop the table with five points.

Cavalier, who are second with four points, went down to 10 players when Horace Sharpe was shown the red card in the 61st minute.

In the other match of the four-team qualifying play-offs, Seba United (two points) and Rivoli United (one) were due for a late kick-off at Jarrett Park.

Highgate coach Calvin Lewis said his team showed that they needed the win more than Cavalier.

“We wanted three points and we played for three points… we are in front and we need to stay in front,” he said.

Cavalier had the first opportunity of the match after only a minute, but a whistle from the stands confused the goal-bound Jermaine Grey, who thought the referee had called back the play.

After that, however, Highgate gained the ascendancy and 12 minutes into the match Cavalier goalkeeper Everdean Scarlett had to be at this best to tip Severo Murphy’s 35-yard cracker over the crossbar for a corner.

After the Highgate spell of control, Sharpe had Cavalier’s best chance at the other end, but he could not direct his header on target.

After the interval, Cavalier substitute Fabian Nethersole had a great chance in the 50th minute, but he ran out of room to shoot.

The visitors then dominated the proceedings and could have added to their score but excellent goalkeeping denied Kevin Williams in the 85th minute.

Cavalier’s assistant coach Garfield Robinson said the result was very disappointing.

“We came out very flat and Highgate made the best of their opportunities… losing three points here is a set-back,” he said.

— Livingston Scott