Rivoli United………………1

Hodges (60th)

Humble Lion………………0

RIVOLI United, who returned to the Red Stripe Premier League this season, completed the first round of the competition with a 1-0 home win over Humble Lion at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on Sunday.

Devon Hodges, the team’s chief marksman, scored with a free kick in minute 60 to gather all three points for the Spanish Town-based team.

Rivoli United with four wins, three draws and four defeats, ended the round in seventh spot on 15 points, the same as sixth-placed Humble Lion who have not won in their last six games.

“It was a good victory for us and a satisfying one for a team that has been playing well all season but without the best of luck” coach Calvert Fitzgerald told the Jamaica Observer.

“With better luck, we could have added at least six points better off than our present tally of 15 points to be sitting level with Humble Lion who led the

RSPL standings not so long ago,”

said Fitzgerald.

Humble Lion coach Geoffrey Maxwell, a former coach of Rivoli, expressed disappointment with the frame of

mind with which his players approached the game.

“I did not get the convincing impression that this Humble Lion team came here to play the game. When I arrived and looked at the body language of the players, the impression I got was they came to the ground on vacation,” said Maxwell.

“I thought we got only one good chance where Ajuran Brown missed what appeared to be a certain goal in the second half. I still cannot understand how a person can miss a goal from a half-a-yard. Despite this, I have to place blame on my goalkeeper for the goal that scored,” the veteran coach added.

Teams

Rivoli United – Shannon Bartley, Jermaine Henry, Christopher Hayles, Barrington Planter, Kenny Lee, Ross Burton, Raymond Williamson, Cory Burke, Kemar Bennett, Devon Hodges, Kemar Smith (Anthony Greenland 8th).

Subs not used: C Louden, T Moulton, M Harrison, J Nelson, D Garrison, F Anderson, A Reid, M Blygen

Booked: Hodges (4th), Burke (67th), Williamson (76th)

Humble Lion — Damian Crooks, Kirk Duckworth, Ricardo Campbell, Mark Miller, Ranoldo Christian, Ajuran Brown, Kimroy Davis, Wolry Wolfe, Jermaine Christian (Sean Coleman 84th), Omando McLeod (Kemeel Wolfe 32nd), Jermaine Fletcher (Denzil Watson 64th).

Subs not used: O Walters, R Barnes, O Brown

Booked: Brown (14th), R Christian (63rd)

Referee: Dwight Royal

Assistant Referees: Kedlee Powell, Melvin Reid

Fourth Official: Derron Daley

Match Commissary: Uken Campbell

— Hurbun Williams