Arnett Gardens 2

Lloyd (64th), Wilson (80th)

Reno 1

Facey (66th)

WITH five more games still to go, three-time winners of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), Arnett Gardens became the first team to book a place in the semi-final of this year’s competition by defeating fellow three-time winners Reno FC 2-1 at the Anthony Spaulding Sport Complex on Monday night.

Renae Lloyd and Kevin ‘Pele’ Wilson scored first- and second-half goals to seal the issue for Arnett Gardens, while Alburn Facey replied for Reno.

What makes the Arnett Gardens win more meritorious was that they played the final 60 minutes of the game with 10 players after Andre Clennon was sent packing for two bookable offences.

Reno also went down to 10 men but that was at the very end when Omar Johnson was red-carded with only one minute remaining in the 90th+2 minutes for his second bookable offence.

Both coaches lauded the other’s players for an excellent effort. Delighted that his team was the first to qualify for the semi-final stages of the RSPL, coach Jerome Waite said: “I must congratulate Arnett Gardens’ 10-man team for a gallant effort. The players showed character, cohesion and a collective will to overcome the odds of playing a man short.

“I must also give Reno credit for an outstanding performance. They came here with a purpose and they really gave it their all,” Waite added.

Despite the loss coach Wendell Downswell had high praises for his team. “It is a game that could have gone either way. I thought we fought gallantly, tactically, I thought we played a disciplined game overall. We scored a brilliant equaliser and I thought we could have got something more out of the game, but only to be undone by an awesome goal,” he noted.

Teams: Arnett Gardens FC — Peter Harrison, Oneil Thompson, Jabeur Johnson, Shaquille Dyer, Renae Lloyd (Jason Moore 90th), Marvin Morgan, Kenneil Hyde, Andrew Phang (Vishinul Harris 16th), Dasha Satchwell (Marcelino Blackburn 74th), Andre Clennon, Kevin Wilson

Subs not used: Damian Hyatt, Michaelos Martin, Kemal Malcolm, Jamar Martin

Booked: Clennon (17th, 30th ejected)

Reno FC — Vaughn Hawthorne, Riando Vassell (Tereto Gregory 85th), Rondell Morris, Jashane Foster, Craig Foster, Denmark Gillings (Hushane Hinds 85th), Codean Smikle, Omar Johnson, Romario Downswell, Junior Neil (Jason McLean 57th), Alburn Facey

Subs not used: Chad Blair, Dwayne Blake, Kayce Bloomfield, Peter Morris

Booked: Morris (9th), Vassell (14th), Johnson (49th, 90th+2)

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Lloyd Reader, Melvin Reid

Fourth Official: Dwight Royal

Match Commissioner: Horace Lewis