Photo: Howard Morris celebrates with the Tivoli Gardens fans after scoring the equalizer against Portmore United in the Red Stripe Premier League first leg quarter final on Sunday. A stunning strike from the youngster from the edge of the area drew his team level with four minutes of regualtion left in the game. He received a yellow card for removing his shirt during the celebrations.
Tivoli Gardens secured a last gasp equalizer through their young striker Howard Morris in their first leg Red Stripe Premier League quarter final on Sunday to leave the tie intriguingly poised at 1-1 ahead of the return leg on the weekend.
The slightly built player was in a defiant mood at the end of the game on Sunday and promised that his team would finish off the job at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
“When I kicked that ball and it scored, I ran over to my home fans and told them, “don’t fret yourselves, next week we got the goals for you., we are going to the semi-finals with ease, “JJ” (Jermaine Johnson) has a double for us next week coming.
Jermaine Johnson who is the team’s leading goal scorer with 16 goals has missed a few games through injury but may be back in time for the second leg. The former Reggae Boy has been the mainstay of the team this season in attack and would be a welcome addition to the squad for the crucial return game.
“I am very confident for the next leg. Portmore will try to come hard for the next leg, but we will be going harder. We are going to show them that it isn’t physical that plays the game, it is ball work. We are going to move the ball around them like we did today and got a goal, we are going to show them that next week.”
Morris said he was inspired by the half time team talk of his coach Damion Gordon and he promised that he would deliver for the team when he was in the dressing room.
“He told me when I get the ball I should go towards goal and not to stop, and I told him – coach you know I am a player that doesn’t stop. I am going to get the goal for you so don’t fret yourself – and I finally got it.”
The 86th minute goal was a special strike and it may take something of that nature to separate the two teams when they face each other again.
On the four occasions that the teams have met this season, including the game on Sunday, Tivoli has won twice, lost once and drawn once. Interestingly enough, Tivoli has beaten Portmore twice at the Prison Oval.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login