LEADERS Arnett Gardens moved to within one win of equalling the number of consecutive wins of nine recorded by a team while competing in the Red Stripe Premier League after defeating Cavalier 1-0 at Stadium East on Thursday.

The high point of the dour encounter was the Leon Strickland goal. The in-form striker was scoring in the RSPL for the fifth consecutive game to help Arnett Gardens equal the number of wins established in the RSPL by Hazard United in the 2002 season. Hazard United later became Portmore United.

The win also moved Arnett Gardens to 38 points for a four-point gap at the top ahead of former leaders Montego Bay United on 34 with Cavalier remaining seventh on 22 points.

“The aim of the team is to stay healthy, keep our focus and get through the next few games then take it from there. Should we go on and establish a new record so be it. But the real aim is to keep on striving to win all our games,” Jerome Waite, coach of the team, said.

“Today’s performance was a spirited one but you still have to give the Cavalier team credit as they played with a defensive game to counter an Arnett Gardens team which is more offensive with the hope to stifle our play and gain a point, but we found a way through for the narrow win,” Waite observed.

“We hit the crossbar to continue our woe of not scoring. We have some issues in that department that we have to deal with, so we just have to deal with them and come again,” Rudolph Speid, president of Cavalier, said.

Teams

Cavalier – Roybert Clarke, Dwayne Holmes, Liston James, Girvan Brown, Donovan McCurdy (Davion Alves 61st), Al Nesbett, Donovan Alvaranga, Alex Bennett (Kimorlie Brissett 62nd), Jeffery Grant, Kimoy Simpson, Jerome Smith (Norman Bailey 79th)

Subs not used: Jermaine Ricketts, Davion Roberts, Nicholas Hamilton, Jerald Eastwood

Booked: Simpson, (69th, 88th, red card)

Arnett Gardens – Damion Hyatt, Dicoy Williams, Jabeur Johnson, Oneil Thompson, Jason Moore (Andrew Phang 60th), Dasha Satchwell, Marvin Morgan (Jahmeel Thompson 80th), Leon Strickland (Kemal Malcolm 84th), Alanzo Adlam, Andre Clennon, Kenniel Hyde

Subs not used: Peter Harrison, Kenarado Smith, Steve Clarke, Jamar Martin

Booked: Oneil Thompson (27th)

Referee: Oshane Nation

Assistant Referees: Melvin Reid, Ojay Duhaney

Fourth Official: Derron Davey

Match Commissary: Ainsley Sharpe