Photo: Boys Town right back Xavian Virgo is challenged by Donovan Alveranga of Cavalier for the ball in their premier league encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday. Cavalier won the game 3-1 to move back to second place in the RSPL.
Cavalier SC brought an end to the their slide down the Red Stripe Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Boys Town at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday. The win moved Cavalier back into second place while it condemned Boys Town the last place at the end of the first round of the RSPL.
Cavalier led 1-0 at half time courtesy of a strike from Captain Girvon Brown but Boys Town levelled shortly after the break before two late goals sealed the deal for Rudolph Speid’s men.
Cavalier took very little time to settle in the game as Claudius Blackburn stung the palms of Kirk Porter in the first minute of play, after a quick move down the right side involving his captain Brown. Michael Campbell responded for Boys Town in the 6th minute when he fired at goal from distance but his shot was always going wide.
Donovan Alveranga provided a cross from the left side for Blackburn in the 14th minute and the forward slipped in ahead of the Boys Town defenders to steer towards goal but Porter was again equal to the task. Moments later Brown should have put Cavalier ahead but his tame effort from inside the area was easy for the Boys Town custodian to handle. It was a glaring miss from the striker.
Boys Town tried to get something going in attack and their first effort on target was from the teenager Shamar Nicholson. A cross from Xavian Virgo was met by the gangly striker whose goal bound effort brought out a smart save from Kadeem Davis.
Both teams continued to press for the opener and Jermaine Ricketts produced a thunderous effort from 28 yards but again, Porter showed a safe pair of hands to keep the visitors at bay. Shortly after it was the turn of Peter Keys to try his luck from distance and Davis did well to smother the dipping, swerving shot.
Both teams were reduced to 10 men in the 29th minute when Keyes and Jeffery Grant of Cavalier were both ejected for violent conduct.
The deadlock was final broken seven minutes before the break when a quick free kick by Jermaine Ricketts, down the right side, caught the Boys Town defence flatfooted. Alveranga crossed in to the near post for Brown to head home past a hapless Porter.
Garfield Gillespie should have drawn his team level a minute before the break when he was played in by Campbell, just inside the box. The player had the whole goal to aim at and with the goalkeeper frozen on his line, Gillespie somehow managed to shoot wide of the target from 16 yards.
Boys Town came out on their toes in the second half and were level in the 48th minute courtesy of a strike from Nicholson. The player was left free in the box and had enough time to control a pass from Michael Campbell on the chest and fire in off the upright to make the score 1-1.
The Andrew Price coached team then took full control of the game, stroking the ball around the park and pushing the visitors back. The Cavalier defence remained resolute however as the ‘Red Brigade’ failed to make use of the half chances they created.
Cavalier made them pay for their wastefulness when Blackburn restored their lead in the 75th minute. Brown played in the striker down the left channel and he produced a delightful chip over the head of the onrushing Porter to make it 2-1 with 15 minutes left to play.
Second half substitute Javanie Mitchell made the game safe with five minutes left on the clock when his shot from distance caught out Porter at the near post.
Speid was particularly pleased with his team’s performance on the day.
“We lost three games in a row, but we played well in all three games. This particular game we did our home work and we kept a lot more possession and I must say we score three good goals.
“I was a little worried (when Boys Town was dominating possession) but we trained really hard, we know our fitness level was up and actually the changes that we made, we knew that these players were going to make a difference,” he continued.
The Technical Director credited and definite game plan and youth for the win.
“They were young players, an 18 year old and a two 20 year olds, small runners and they ran and ran and ran until we got the winner. It was a deliberate ploy to go to the runners later and it paid off,” he explained of his tactical substitutions in the second half.
Andrew Price was at pains to explain yet another loss by his team.
“I believe it was a game of ebbs and flows and I believe we didn’t dominate the ebbs that we should have. We got an opportunity to overrun Cavalier in the second half but we made some silly mistakes defensively and tactically I think that really affected us.
“We over compensated one side and we didn’t have any coverage on the other side and we gave up two real soft goals, so we are going to have to play more disciplined and we have to get more effort from the players.”
“I thought it was a listless effort today and we are going to have to work on it and we are going to continue to work,” he stated.
The win moved Cavalier back up into second place on 20 points while Boys Town who remain on 8 points now occupy the cellar position following a second win for the season by Barbican.
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