TIVOLI Gardens jumped into fourth spot of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) with a 3-1 win over Highgate United at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday.

In form Dane Kelly grabbed a brace in the fifth and 18th minutes for his third goal in two games since returning from Charleston Battery in the US Soccer League.

Young promising defender Barrington Pryce headed Tivoli Gardens’ third in the 45th minute to seal a comfortable win. Jerome Wedderburn pulled one back for Highgate in the 52nd minute for a consolation goal. Tivoli Gardens joined four other teams — Harbour View, Arnett Gardens, Sporting Central Academy and Savannah — on 10 points, but are fourth on goal difference.

For Highgate United, their poor early form continued, losing their fourth match from six games and remained at the bottom on two points.

Head coach Glendon Bailey left national player Navion Boyd and Christopher Jackson on the bench and the home team were quickly into their strides. Kelly collected a ball 25 metres out, turned and fired a thunderous shot that sailed through the outstretched hands of Ralston Robinson, who should have done better.

Tivoli Gardens doubled their advantage when Kelly fired home from a melee in which his teammate Ranike Anderson suffered an injury and had to be replaced.

Both Carlos Barrett and Roen Nelson missed opportunities to score for Highgate before Pryce ventured forward and nodded home from a corner kick.

Whatever coach Calvin Lewis said during the interval seemed to have worked, as Highgate came out firing and should have scored on at least two occasions, one of which was cleared off line.

Then Wedderburn finally put Highgate on the scoresheet, firing home from just inside the box for a deserved goal.

Not sure if Tivoli Gardens had taken their ‘foot off the gas’, but Highgate got a few chances to pull level or even win the contest. Meanwhile, in the 78th minute referee Raymond Bogle apparently damaged his knee and was replaced by fourth official Karl Tyrell in the middle.