Arnett Gardens close gap on top six in JPL after beating Waterhouse
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Arnett Gardens moved to within a point of the top six in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) after edging Waterhouse FC 1-0 in their second round game played at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday.
With their seventh win of the campaign and third in their last four games, Arnett Gardens improved to 22 points from 16 games, one behind defending champions Cavalier SC who have played a game less and are ahead of Tivoli Gardens on goal-difference.
In the feature game, Shai Smith scored his fourth goal of the season for Arnett Gardens in the 62nd minute to punish a wasteful Waterhouse FC who remained in 11th place on 18 points, just three above the drop zone.
In the first game of the double header (Molynes United vs Tivoli Gardens) Nicholas Nelson had scored a hat-trick on his return to Molynes as they edged 10-man Tivoli Gardens 3-2.
Molynes United are up to ninth place in the points tables on 20 points.
Nelson who had left Molynes United for Dunbeholden FC and started the season at Dunbeholden, resigned for Molynes a fifth time with a dramatic return matching his total goals for the season in just 85 minutes on Monday.
He opened the scoring in the fifth minute but Tivoli levelled the scores two minutes later through Denville Watson.
Nelson restored Molynes United’s lead when he scored in the 52nd minute from the penalty spot and completed his hat trick three minutes later.
Tivoli were reduced to 10 men after Alton Lewis was sent off in the 59th minute but they reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute when Anthony Nelson scored.
— Paul A Reid