BY NODLEY WRIGHT, Freelance Writer
Portmore's Onandi Lowe (right) jumps higher than Village United's Jeff Pearce in the Red Stripe Champions Cup Knockout competition match at the Elleston Wakeland Centre in Falmouth yesterday. Lowe later outjumped Village's keeper Elvis Hart in the 51st minute to head home the lone goal of the game. -RICHARD MORAIS
THE GOALSCORING DUO of Fabian Dawkins and Newton Sterling were sorely missed yesterday as for the second game in succession, Village United have found it difficult to hit the back of the net at their usually productive home ground of Elliston Wakeland Centre.
Against defending Red Stripe Champions Cup Knockout champions Portmore United, they failed to capitalise on a number of chances created and ended up losing 0-1.
The goal came from the head of former national striker Onandi Lowe, who was having his second goal in two games since joining Portmore in early January.
The loss left Village with a deficit to clear in the second leg of the competition to be played next week at Ferdie Neita Park.
"This is definitely a game that you have to sit down and wonder. It is carrying over from the Constant Spring game in how not to score goals because too many chances went abegging," said losing coach Dr. Dean Weatherly, struggling to come to grips with what happened.
"It is not like we were outplayed. It is just that we did not make use of the chances available to us. In games like these when you don't make use of your chances you are going to lose or draw as happened against Constant Spring," he added.
Portmore's Paul Young was more than pleased with the outcome of the game.
"We are very pleased. The objective was to get a goal," he said at the end of the game in his usually relaxed manner.
He was full of praise for Lowe who "scored a beautiful goal and gave a good performance, despite still below a 100 per cent match fitness level".
"We had a number of chances. They had a few chances as well but we cut them out. This is not an easy field to play on but we feel proud of the players. They were disciplined from the start," Young said.
EXPLETIVES
Maybe Young should have said all but national midfielder Omar Daley, who made it clear that he was not pleased with being replaced in the second half by Bryan Bayliss. He started cursing as he made his way to the sideline and when he was addressed by the coach responded with a few expletives and the explanation that he was not the one paying him.
The goal, Daley's indiscipline and a number of missed chances by Teofore Bennett and one from Garfield Bryan for Village aside, the game was forgettable.
At Jarrett Park Seba United edged premier league leaders Harbour View 1-0 through a Kemar James strike in the 74th minute.
Waterhouse, second in the NPL, fared just a little better as they were held 0-0 by relegation battlers Constant Spring at Constant Spring.
BIG WIN
Rivoli United, who hold up the rear in the Premier League, had the biggest win of the day by thrashing Bath of St. Thomas 8-1. Devon Hodges hit the back of the net three times and Patrick Beech had a double, while Kemar Mills, Omar Parker and Gregory Teape got a goal each. Richard Ebanks scored a consolation goal for his team in the 71st minute.
Hodges' strikes came in the 77th, 84th and 85th, while Beech bagged his double in the 10th and 79th minutes. Parker scored in the 21st, Mills got his in the 37th and Teape in the 69th minute.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 