Reigning champions Cavalier SC produced one of their most clinical performances to date in the 2022 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season as they came from behind to whip Tivoli Gardens 3-1 in a lukewarm encounter at Drax Hall Stadium in St Ann on Saturday.

Despite being without two of their more stellar defenders in Richard King and Jamoi Topey, away on senior Reggae Boyz duties, Cavalier had very little issues at the back.

Collin Anderson (47th minute), Jeovanni Laing (56th), and Kenroy Campbell (67th), got the goals that ensured Cavalier extended their unbeaten run to three games, while condemning Tivoli Gardens — who got their goal from Kemar Seivwright (31st) — to a third-straight loss.

With the win, Cavalier, provisionally joined Mount Pleasant on 19 points, but remain in fifth position due to an inferior goal-difference. Tivoli Gardens slipped to ninth position on nine points.

Meanwhile, a first half goal from Alton Lewis handed Vere United a 1-0 win over Montego Bay United in the other contest which was played at The University of the West Indies-Jamaica Footbal Federation Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.

The win, which was Vere United’s third of the season, saw them jumping to eighth on 10 points, with a struggling Montego Bay United rooted at the foot of the 12-team standing on five points.

At Drax Hall, it was a fairly cagey display by both teams in the first half, which offered very little to write home about, as chances were at a premium.

When Seivwright’s shot from just over 20 yards out took a wicked deflection off Marlando Maxwell and sailed past a flat-footed Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier, it provided the only piece of entertainment for the handful of spectators inside the venue.

However, Cavalier were more purposeful on the resumption and pulled level two minutes in when Shaniel Thomas’s cross was mishandled by the advancing goalkeeper Nathaniel Francis, allowing Anderson to easily tap into an empty net.

They should have gone in front three minutes later when the fleet-footed Anderson got away from defenders, but his left-footed shot was blocked by Francis, who left his line well on this occasion. However, the rebound fell kindly for Thomas, who, though composed, somehow steered his right-footer wide from a decent position.

Cavalier eventually found the go-ahead goal when Laing fired home from close range after Tivoli Gardens failed to clear their lines cleanly from a Nickache Murray free kick.

Tivoli Gardens were left ruing their luck, or lack thereof, when a 79th minute free kick taken by substitute Rodico Wellington was fumbled by Barclett, but none of the west Kingston-based team’s attackers got to the rebound in time to capitalise.

Barclett again unnecessarily left his line to a long pass into the box and failed to collect, but Barrington Pryce’s header at the far post was cleared off the line by defenders in time added and basically summed up Tivoli Gardens’ day.

Saturday’s results

Cavalier 3, Tivoli Gardens 1

Vere United 1, Montego Bay United 0

Sunday’s games

12:45pm: Harbour View vs Dunbeholden

3:00pm: Portmore United vs Mount Pleasant

*Both games will be played at Drax Hall