Photo: Rivoli United’s Cory Burke celebrates his first of two goals against Barbican FC on Sunday. Rivoli inflicted the first defeat on Barbican for the season, beating them 4-0 inside the National Stadium.
Barbican United suffered their first loss in their inaugural season in the Red Stripe Premier League on Sunday, when they were soundly beaten 4-0 by Rivoli United inside the National Stadium. A Cory Burke brace either side of half time, help set up the easy win for Rivoli.
Barbican who had beaten the premier league leaders Cavalier on Friday in the FLOW Champions Cup after 120 minutes of football, showed no ill effects of that tough encounter when the game got underway, with Lennox Russell firing across the face of the Rivoli with just two minutes on the clock.
Barbican took the game to their opponents with captain Ramone McGregor and Jermaine Parris combining well down the right flank to create a few openings. But as the half wore on Rivoli started exerting their influence on the proceedings.
A give away in midfield by Barbican almost led to the first goal in the 18th minute when Burke fired on target but Ashek Taylor was down smartly to effect a good save and keep the game scoreless. Ten minutes later Barbican were counting their lucky stars as a corner kick drifted across the face of the goal and just needed a touch from any of three Rivoli players for them to go ahead.
Parris got the first real Barbican shot on goal eight minutes before half time but watched as his effort went just over the crossbar.
Burke broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval when he swept home after Barbican failed to clear their lines after a corner kick. Taylor got a hand to the shot but was powerless to prevent it from going in, as Rivoli went in 1-0 at the interval.
It took Rivoli just ten minutes to double their lead inside the second half as Kemar Beckford made no mistake after his teammate Burke missed his header from a left sided cross. The ball fell kindly to Burke who rifled home inside the near post with Taylor powerless to prevent it going in.
Rivoli ceased control of the midfield and effectively the game as the weariness started to show on the Barbican team. Burke was using his strength and speed up front to run the Barbican defence ragged and got his second to make it 3-0 with just under fifteen minutes left to play.
Second half substitute Anthony Greenland completed the scoring with a minute to go when he slotted into an empty net after Taylor had parried a cross into his path.
Calvert Fitzgerald was happy for the win but wanted his team to be more clinical in front of goal.
“I am happy that we scored four goals today and got three points. We have been having a good run and we played well today. Barbican came at us early but we pushed them back and took control of the game. However we created 11 chances but only converted four so we have to work on our conversion rate,” he said.
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