PROMOTED outfit Dunbeholden FC kept their chances of avoiding relegation alive when they came from behind to earn a 1-1 stalemate against Tivoli Gardens in a heated Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) encounter at Royal Lakes Complex in St Catherine yesterday.

Veteran Jermaine “Teddy” Johnson sent Tivoli Gardens in front with a 45th-minute strike, but Narado Brown pulled one back in the 74th minute to earn Dunbeholden a share of the spoils.

It was not the desired result for Dunbeholden, but it was enough to keep them in 10th position on 24 points, two points clear of 11th-placed Reno FC, who went down 1-2 to Arnett Gardens in their fixture at Frome Complex.

That win propelled Arnett Gardens into fifth position provisionally on 37 points, as they overtook Tivoli Gardens, who were relegated to seventh on 35 points.

Meanwhile, champions Portmore United provisionally assumed pole position on 47 points, following their 2-0 win over eighth-placed Humble Lion (30 points) at Effortville Community Centre, while Mount Pleasant FA moved up to fourth on 38 points, also with a 2-0 win over cellar dwellers Montego Bay United (19 points) at Drax Hall in St Ann.

At Royal Lakes, though slightly disappointed with the scoreline, both coaches welcomed the point with eight games remaining in the final round.

Rigel Smith of Dunbeholden FC took some positives from the fact that they hold a two-point gap from the drop zone.

“We are most definitely pleased. we came here hunting three points but unfortunately we got one and we just have to work with that. We have to continue working hard because we are not yet out of the tight spot that we are in, but it is good that we are not in the relegation zone and we just have to maintain our positive trend,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.

His counterpart, Omar Edwards, echoed similar sentiments.

“We played for maximum points and we got the game to win, but we lost concentration after we scored a beautiful goal and that resulted in the goal. It was a physical encounter and we were playing away from home, so to get a point we must be grateful for it going forward.”

The contest was a tale of two halves with Tivoli Gardens enjoying the better of the first 45 minutes as they camped out in Dunbeholden’s quarters in a spell of sustained pressure with Trayvone Reid and Johnson hooking up on the right channel.

They sprayed in a few crosses which amounted to nothing due to faulty shooting and an earlier cross by Reid was stopped on the line by a defender after being headed down by Johnson.

Tempers flared on a few occasions with players from both teams clashing after some tough challenges at either end of the park, but referee Neressa Goldson did well to keep control.

Tivoli Gardens inevitably found the opener on the stroke of the break when Junior McGregor went by three defenders on the right channel and played in a cross, which was muffed by Shavar Campbell, but Johnson was on hand to rifle home the loose ball from the top of the 18-yard box.

Dunbeholden found their rhythm on the resumption and had Tivoli Gardens back-pedalling on the defensive end a few minutes in.

Demareo Phillips’s 54th-minute cross drew custodian Nicholas Clarke off his line, but he missed an attempted punch, which resulted in the ball landing kindly for Andre Dyce, who after taking time to set, hit high and wide.

However, the St Catherine side eventually got back on level terms when a mix-up in Tivoli’s defence allowed Brown to slip through and notch the equaliser from close range.

Teams

Dunbeholden FC — Eric Edwards, Jevon Angel (Nickoy Christian 59th), Shaquille Dyer, Andre Dyce, Kimoni Bailey, Shevan James, Dasha Satchwell, Kemo Gayle (Kevin Reid 46th), Demareo Phillips (Orrett Richards 69th), Narado Brown, DeanAndre Thomas

Subs not used: Giovanni Smith, Leon Strickland, Maurice Mais, Rushane Spence

Booked: Satchwell (20th), Reid (90th)

Tivoli Gardens — Nicholas Clarke, Barrington Pryce, Tevin Shaw (Tkvin Garnett 73rd), Shavar Campbell, Ezran Simpson, Raymond Williamson, Trayvone Reid (Marvin Stewart 62nd), Rushane Facey, Junior McGregor, Colorado Murray, Jermaine Johnson (Shevon Richards 54th)

Subs not used: Hugh Evans, Nathan Thomas, Davion Goulbourne

Booked: Reid (22nd)

Referee: Neressa Goldson

Assistant referees: Lloyd Edwards, Ricardo McKenzie

Fourth official: Weston Costley

Match commissary: Ainsley Sharpe