CORY Burke’s double strike led Rivoli United to a 4-0 hammering of 10-man Barbican FC in the opening game of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) double-header at the National Stadium yesterday.

Kemar Beckford (55th) and substitute Anthony Greenland (89th) scored the other goals for Rivoli United.

Barbican’s Lennox Russell was booked in the 53rd and 63rd minutes and was red-carded. With the win, St Catherine-based Rivoli, who are unbeaten after four rounds, move to eight points.

St Andrew-based Barbican, first-timers in the RSPL, suffered their first loss of the season and have two points from three outings.

Earlier, both teams struggled to settle on the slow, rough-looking surface at the National Stadium. But Rivoli eventually went into the ascendancy and took the lead five minutes before the break through Burke’s powerful strike from a right-sided cross.

Barbican goalkeeper Ashek Taylor made a valiant attempt and got a touch on the shot, but the ball burst past his hand and bounded into the net.

Moments later Burke almost created the second when he broke down the right and fed a pass to Valentine Gardener, but the latter’s shot was parried wide by Taylor.

Rivoli retained the upper hand in the second half and only 10 minutes in, they extended their lead to two goals when Beckford powered a right-footer in at Taylor’s near post.

Lennox Russell was soon sent off and Rivoli cruised the rest of the half.

Burton scored the more stunning of his two goals in the 76th minute when he dribbled across the area from right to left before unleashing a wicked left-footer from the edge of the box which flew high into the top right corner of the goal. Substitute Greenland tapped in an easy fourth for Rivoli to pile further misery on the Premier League’s newcomers.

At half-time in the feature game at the Stadium, Harbour View FC were leading Boys’ Town FC 2-1.