Tivoli show class in thriller
TIVOLI Gardens once again showed their true championship mettle by beating Harbour View 1-0 playing with 10-men in a dramatic and exciting night of National Premier League (NPL) football action at the Compound on Sunday.
Prior to the start of the game, a small section of the southern stand collapsed injuring four persons who were taken to the hospital.
But that could not put a damper on the quality of football displayed by both teams, especially Tivoli Gardens who played the last 30 minutes with 10 men after Kemar Flemmings was dismissed in the 59th minute.
Inform striker Mitchily Waul struck in the 30th minute for his league-topping fourth goal which propelled Tivoli Gardens to the top of the NPL on goal difference.
Waul benefited from a horrendous diagonal back pass across the goal from the usually competent Christopher Harvey allowing the former to slot home from close range.
The orange-and-black-clad bearers from West Kingston, jumped from third to first spot on 11 points from five games, the same as Portmore United.
Harbour View remained fifth on seven points with their second loss of the season and should be very disappointed after playing with an extra man.
The usually competent right back, Flemmings, retaliated and struck a player after being fouled and was dismissed in the 59th minute by referee Dwight Royal.
In fact, his teammate Shawn McKoy, did likewise in the 19th minute and was lucky to escape without even a yellow carded.
But Tivoli Gardens never wilted and held on for an exciting victory in one of the best free-flowing football games seen all season.
Winning coach Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey, said playing a team so many times over the years allowed him the comfort of knowing their strengths and weaknesses.
Said Bailey: “We did preparation where that is concerned and we did a lot of work in training playing with one short, so we knew we could stand up to the task and we did just that.”
Meanwhile, coach Donovan Hayles was nevertheless pleased with Harbour View’s display despite the loss.
“One is more pleased as the team played good, entertaining football,” he said.
