Cavalier Soccer Club and Tivoli Gardens Football Club battled a dour 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Red Stripe Premier League quarter-final match at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.

Both teams will enter the return leg at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex with everything to play for next week as they seek a spot in the semi-finals.

With the Stadium East facility not available, Cavalier used the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex as their home ground and failed to secure that crucial first-leg advantage.

It was a game that begged for a goal to elevate the excitement level, but it never came, and fans felt short-changed by the dull display.

Both teams got early chances and at the end substitute Elton Thompson could have won it for the visitors, but he headed high from a teasing cross from Trayvone Reid in the 90th minute.

Both coaches were unperturbed by the goalless draw and are pretty confident for the second leg.

However, Cavalier’s Head Coach Rudolph Speid was disappointed by the physical approach by Tivoli Gardens, which he thought went unpunished by referee Odette Hamilton.

“I think they got away with a lot of challenges that a more sterner referee would have dealt with. They repeatedly fouled whenever we tried to play the game, and the referee made some technical blunders,” lamented Speid.

“We should have scored at least two opportunities, but we didn’t make use of [them]. The second half was scrappy, but I thought we played better because Tivoli just launched the ball long and that was their modus operandi,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Tivoli Gardens’ coach Omar Edwards said that it was not a bad result overall.

“Defensively we were solid for most of the game and we managed to nullify the threat of Cavalier, and offensively we should have at least capitalised on one,” said Edwards.

“We just have to go home and ensure we drive home that home advantage,” he added.

Teams: Cavalier SC — David Mitchell, Kamoy Simpson, Jamoi Topey, Clifton Woodbine, Gadail Irving, Kemar Shaw (Sheldon McKoy 70th), Alex Marshall, Chevone Marsh, Paul Wilson, Nicholas Hamilton (Kaheem Harris 60th), Michael Spence ( Nique Daley 90th)

Subs not used: Peter Harrison, Orlando Brown, Marlon Laing, Tevin Rochester

Booked: None

Tivoli Gardens — Nicholas Clarke, Nicholas Smith, Barrington Pryce, Romaine Breakenridge, Rushane Facey, Tevin Shaw, Marvin Stewart, Junior McGregor (Jermaine Johnson 60th), Authur Walters (Trayvone Reid 76th), Howard Morris, Andre Moulton (Elton Thompson 76th)

Subs not used: Davin Watkins, Romaine Linton, Tykvin Garnett, Sean Coleman

Booked: Pryce (4th), Morris (10th), Thompson (79th)

Referee: Odette Hamilton

Assistant Referees: Jassette Kerr, Stephanie Dale Yeesing

Fourth Official: Okeito Nicholson

Match Commissary: Elaine Walker Brown