Boys’ Town rally to beat Savannah 3-1
FROME, Westmoreland — Boys’ Town stayed in contention for a place in the end of first round final after a come-from-behind 3-1 thrashing of struggling Savannah SC in their Red Stripe Premier League game at Frome yesterday.
Boys’ entered yesterday’s match in second place on 18 points and have now moved to 21, while Savannah remain in the bottom-half with 11 points.
After trailing at half time, Boys’ Town turned up the intensity against a tired-looking Savannah, scoring three times in a 25-minute span as the home team sunk to their seventh straight game without a win.
Savannah, who started their first Premier League season with three wins, at times looked not just physically tired, but clueless as they dropped back with eight players behind the ball as if inviting Boys’ Town to come at them.
Boys’ Town accepted the invitation and their persistence eventually paid off, as after Rafiek Thomas got the equaliser in the 59th minute, Savannah all but gave up despite a rash of substitutions.
Boys’ Town coach Andrew Pryce told the Jamaica Observer that at half time he demanded more from his players. “I told them we had to play like we wanted to win and they came out in the second half and did what we asked,” he said.
After snapping a six-game losing streak with a draw at Arnett Gardens last weekend, Savannah came out looking upbeat and went ahead in the 12th minute when Tristonn Sommerville’s free kick beat Porter. They continued to dominate in the first half and created the better scoring chances, the best of which fell to Shane Anderson. In the 43rd minute Anderson, after beating goalkeeper Kirk Porter in the box, fired unbelievably wide of the open goal.
After powering a shot into the chest of the Savannah goalkeeper in the 55th minute, Thomas beat him with a glancing header four minutes later. Thomas also provided the final pass in the 79th minute after the Savannah defence stood up and allowed them to take advantage of wide open space, passing to Michael Campbell who gave Barrett no chance from
close range.
Romeo Parkes put the icing on the cake and wrapped up the points with a thunderous shot from about 30 yards that flew into Barrett’s right post like a rocket, in the 84th minute, to lock up the points.