Reno FC edge Duncans in JFF championship
TRELAWNY, Jamaica — Reno FC won back-to-back games to start the Jamaica Football Federation Championship after edging Duncans United 1-0 in their Zone B game played at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium on Saturday.
Reno FC, semi-finalists last season, are the only team to preserve their perfect win record and took over the lead in Zone B ahead of Mt Pleasant Juniors and Falmouth United, both on four points. Four teams are on four points in Zone A, led by Lime Hall Academy, on goal difference, with Grays Inn and Meadforest FC tied on statistics.
In the second game of the doubleheader at the Trelawny venue, Everton Blackwood’s 39th minute goal was the difference giving Reno FC the win as Duncans United who opened their first championship with a big 4-0 win the previous week, tasted defeat for the first time.
Falmouth United were also 1-0 winners in the first game of the double, getting the better of Petersfield FC with Richard Gooden scoring the winner in the 57th minute.
In the second game of a doubleheader at Drax Hall, Mt Pleasant Juniors, who had won their opening game 3-1 over Holland PYC, were held 0-0 by St Bess United, as they played teams from St Elizabeth in their first two games.
In the other Zone B game played on Saturday, Holland PYC and Treasure Beach played out a 1-1 draw in a St Elizabeth derby at Lacovia Community Centre.
Shavoy Smith fired Holland PYC into the lead in the 36th minute but Ryan Dwyer earned a point for Treasure Beach when he scored in the 40th minute. It was the second straight draw for Treasure Beach who had played in the Premier League last season after they had shared six goals with Falmouth United a week before.
Spanish Town Police rebounded from their opening loss to Grays Inn to beat Portlanders FC 4-1 at Royal Lakes field, scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation time and three minutes of time added on.
Robert Allen gave Spanish Town Police the lead in the 12th minute and they led until the 61st minute when Jahnoni Hamilton equalised for Portlanders FC.
Nicholson Osbourne then restored Spanish Town Police’s lead when he scored in the 80th minute, Shemar Harris added a goal in the 87th minute and Oshane Senior who came on as a substitute in the 68th minute, made it 4-1 when he scored in time added.
In the first game of the Drax Hall double header, Obrien Reid scored a double for Progressive FC as they came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw against Lime Hall Academy who got two goals from Jaheed Hanson.
Hanson gave Lime Hall the lead after eight minutes, Reid equalised in the 12th minute before Hanson scored a second in the 30th minute as the home team led 2-1 at half-time.
Reid then scored in the 83rd minute as Progressive shared the points, earning their first point of the season in the process.
Tru-Juice Fc who had missed their opening game and were fined by the organisers, scored a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw against Grays Inn and the St Mary Sports Complex. Rasheed Dennis opened the scoring for Grays Inn in the 25th minute before Curtis Lawes scored in the 88th minute for Tru-Juice.
Zidane Gowe of Grays Inn was red-carded by referee Shandaye Edwards nine minutes into time added.
The results from Saturday’s matches are as follows:
Meadforest FC-1 Baptist Alliance-1
Lime Hall Academy-2 Progressive FC-2
Spanish Town Police-4 Portlanders FC-1
Grays Inn SC-1 Tru-Juice FC- 1
Falmouth United-1 Petersfield FC-0
Duncans FC-0 Reno FC-1
Holland PYC-1 Treasure Beach
— Paul Reid