Arnett rally to beat Waterhouse; H’View secure play-off spot
ARNETT Gardens twice came from behind to beat Waterhouse 4-2 in their final game in the regular season at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday, a result that saw them end in third place in the points table behind Waterhouse who had already clinched first place on Thursday.
A brace from Marlon Allen and Fabian Reid earned the home team the win while Cardel Benbow and Ramone Howell got the goals for the visitors.
Benbow gave Waterhouse a 14th-minute lead after he expertly brought the ball under control from a raking cross-field pass from Kymani Campbell and then fired low across Eric Edwards to score in the corner of the goal.
But there was an instant response from Arnett Gardens as Marlon Allen forced the ball home from close range to make it 1-1 just a minute later.
A punt from Damion Binns from they half-line had Edwards in trouble, and after he tipped the ball onto the crossbar it fell to Shaqueil Bradford who scooped the ball high over that crossbar for Waterhouse.
Benbow then had a snapshot that hit the base of the post, and the rebound fell to Moulton whose shot was expertly saved by Edwards as he produced a great reflex stop to keep the ball out of the goal.
There was a flashing header from Fabian Reid from a corner kick that went just wide of the far post in added time as the half ended 1-1.
A rare goal from Captain Ramone Howell restored the Waterhouse lead at 2-1 in the 56th minute, but again Allen cut the Waterhouse celebrations short when he reacted quickest to a rebound to score from an unmissable range for 2-2 in the 58th minute.
Fabian Reid then turned on a dime and fired at goal, but the ball hit the base of post, ricocheted onto Akeem Chambers in the Waterhouse goal, and then went behind for a corner kick.
Bradford then had a glorious chance to restore the Waterhouse lead when Arnett Gardens defenders Ezran Simpson and Oneil Anderson crashed into each other and fell to the ground at the half-line. Bradford raced away and fired a shot low across Edwards who dived to his left to steer the ball behind for a corner kick.
A quick Arnett Gardens counter saw Kimani Arbouine find Reid who stung the palms of Chambers with a rasping drive.
The game appeared to be heading for a draw when the experienced Reid put the hosts ahead for the first time in the game after he was given time and space at the back post to control and fire home to make it 3-2 in the 90th minute.
Waterhouse went in search of the equaliser and were caught out by yet another counter-attack after a clearance from a free kick caught defender Binns out of position, which Reid exploited to score past Chambers in the third minute of added time and secure the 4-2 win.
In the day’s other games, Harbour View secured sixth place when they played out a 1-1 draw with second-place Dunbeholden FC to secure the vital point required to ensure play-off football.
Tivoli Gardens defeated champions Cavalier 1-0 and Humble Lions beat Molynes United 3-0, but both were left disappointed after the Harbour View result as each needed the Stars of the East to lose in order to have a chance of making the play-offs.
In the other two games which were of academic interest only, Mount Pleasant beat Portmore United 2-1 while Montego Bay United and Vere United ended 1-1.