Photo: Arnett Gardens midfielder Vishunul Harris tries to turn away from Humble Lion defender Ricardo Campbell during their Red Stripe Premier League semi-final game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday. The game ended 1-1 and both teams will meet in the decider at the Effortville Centre next Monday night.
A well-executed penalty kick by captain Wolery Wolfe in the 42nd minute ensured that Humble Lion head into the second leg of the Red Stripe Premier League semi-final against favourites Arnett Gardens all square.
Mohammed Ali once said – ‘to be a great champion, you must believe you are the best, if you are not, pretend you are’. This must have been playing in the heads of the Humble Lions faithful before, during and after the first leg on Sunday.
Playing at home in front of a packed Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, Arnett Gardens looked the busier of the two teams from the opening whistle and were ahead in only the 3rd minute. The visitors failed to clear their lines from a corner kick taken by Kenniel Hyde and the ball fell to Andre Clennon whose tame first effort rebounded nicely into his path. He then struck a ferocious left-footer that almost set the net on fire as the home fans celebrated wildly.
Not usually one to hide his emotions, Jerome Waite’s reaction was surprisingly subdued. After a brief fist pump, he was bellowing instructions to players to get behind the ball.
The Humble Lion team slowly got into the game after shaking off the early setback. In the 11th minute, Roberto Fletcher broke free on the right side on a counter attack but his horrendous cross found Damian Hyatt’s safe pair of hands. Fletcher was at it again when he out-foxed his marker and raced away down the right flank but again his cross was far from his best.
Without creating another clear-cut chance in the half, Arnett Gardens kept the opposition at bay and Damian Hyatt remained untroubled, while his opposite number had a lot to do. Vishinul Harris went surging forward creating havoc with his pace and trickery in a 3 versus 2 counter attack but his poor decision saw his shot fly high and wide over the cross bar. Michaelous Martin and Leon Strickland who have scored over 15 goals between them were mere spectators on the park. Their poor decisions in the final third and horrible first touch dampened their performance.
The Humble Lion trio of Ricardo Cousins, Andrew Vanzie and captain Wolery Wolfe, started stroking the ball nicely around the park. This swung the pendulum in Humble Lion’s favour. They began to press convincingly for the first time in the game, with of course, some stern instructions from coach Donovan Duckie.
In minute 42 after a neat give-and-go at the top of the box, Wolfe to Vanzie then back to Wolfe the ball was played neatly through to Hodges whose attempted cross hit the out-stretched arm of Hyde in the penalty area. Referee Valdin Ledgister quickly pointed to the spot. With the finish of a man brimming with confidence, Wolfe opened up his body and placed a left-foot shot to the right of custodian Hyatt and into the bottom corner. It was his fourth goal of the season and his second against Arnett. A delighted Duckie charged out of the dugout and punched the air in a fashion similar to that which Floyd Mayweather gave Manny Pacquiao a couple weeks ago.
Arnett started the second half the way they began the first, settling quickly as Humble Lion struggled to find a rhythm in their passing game. The steam died down after the first ten minutes of the second half as neither team was able to give the fans something to cheer about. However, coach Jerome Waite decided to inject a little pace to his attack as he pulled Martin and Strickland out. He almost got his just reward when substitute Marceleno Blackburn’s superb free kick went up and under but was saved brilliantly by Damion Crooks.
Late in the second half, Marvin Morgan’s goal bound shot brought out the best from Crooks. With less than 15 minutes to go ‘Jerome the magician’ decided to pull the last rabbit from his hat when Kamal “Tull” Malcolm was sent on. His pace and direct runs to goal created problems for the tiring legs of the Humble Lion defenders.
Malcolm teamed up with Clennon nicely, after a beautiful move by Clennon that left two defenders in his wake forcing the keeper to commit, but Clennon’s delicate chip sailed agonizingly wide.
Hyde, with one of his best moves of the game slipped by two defenders, leaving them for dead and whipped in a teasing cross which forced goal keeper Crooks to charge forward leaving his goal exposed, found an unmarked Malcolm who struck the ball firmly to goal but his effort was swept miraculously off the line but Ricardo ‘broomweed’ Campbell. That save was undoubtedly the high point of Humble Lion’s second half and it ensured that they go into the return leg at Effortville tied at 1 a piece.
Jerome Waite while not pleased with the result was glad for the effort of his players.
“The players gave everything tonight. We did enough to take all three points but it was not to be. Humble Lion rode their luck late in the game and their keeper pulled off some brilliant saves to keep the scores level. We will be ready for the return leg at Effortville next week. We will make the adjustments and be ready for them.”
“It has to be wonderful (the result), because we take comfort in the psychological advantage, because we have beaten and drawn with them (Arnett) at Effortville and that’s where the final leg is going to be played,” Duckie said after the game.
With either team winning once at home and two games drawn in the four times they have faced each other this season, it is too close to tell who will make it to the final this season.
.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login