Molynes United and Vere United played out a tame draw at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at The University of the West Indies yesterday as both began their 2020-2021 Jamaica Premier League campaign.

In a game of few goal-scoring opportunities, both teams showed signs of rust after the 15-month lay-off after football was interrupted on the island.

The short preparation time was evident on both sets of players in a lacklustre first-half performance.

The most memorable moment in the game was just after the hour mark when Rushawn Livingston combined well with a team to get behind the Vere defence and fire a shot on target, only to see the ball hit the base of the right upright and flash across the face of goal.

From then on, there was very little to cheer about from either team as they lacked the ability to break the other team’s defence down. As the game wore on it became a case of defending a point than trying to go for a win in the all-important first game of the season.

Molynes United Head Coach Calvert Fitzgerald thought his team got what they deserved.

“We wanted all three points, but we just have to accept that we didn’t put away the chances so we ended up with one, so that’s what we deserved.

“I thought we started slowly. It was to and fro in the first half [but] I thought we grew in the game in the second half.”

Vere United head coach Donovan Duckie was happy for the point in light of the circumstances.

“It’s almost impossible to use three weeks to prepare a team to play at this level. So, what we had to do was to identify some of the things we wanted to accomplish. We said we wanted to accomplish a good physical preseason. We have only gone one-third of the preseason so far.

“We did cardiovascular work and strength work; we didn’t even do any technical work or any tactical work, so there is a lot to be done. They adapted very well today and I am very excited in terms of what I saw.”

Teams: Vere United – Kadeem Davis, Ricardo Campbell, Andre Gayle, Kenroy Lumsden, Trevance Salamon (Tavis Grant 57th), Javier Brown, Barrington Blake, Ricardo Dennis, Tyrese Harrison (Gregory Cousins 67th), Alton Lewis, Naja Biggs (Courton Wright 50th)

Subs not used: Shavon Wilson, Romaine Plummer, Dunsting Cohen

Booked: None

Molynes United — Roje Williams, Jeremy Nelson, Fakibi Farquharson, Malik Cocking, Kemar Seivwright, Damion Thomas, Keith Wright, Sergini Frankson, Tyrique Wilson, Tyrick Sutherland (Shane Watson 89th), Rushawn Livingston (Oniel Small 68th)

Subs not used: Ricardo Phipps, Leon Taylor, Tyrese Wynter, Akeem Stewart, Orane Ferguson

Booked: Farquharson (31st), Seivwright (79th), Frankson (90th+2)

Referee: Christopher Mason

Assistant Referee 1: Stephanie Yeesing

Assistant Referee 2: Kioney Denton

Fourth Official: Odette Hamilton

Match Commissioner: Beverley Melbourne