‘Jungle’ drought continues
Defending champions, Arnett Gardens, remained in the wilderness as they went eight consecutive games without a win in a 0-0 stalemate away to Constant Spring yesterday.
Arnett’s juniors, despite ending scoreless against their peers in the Under-21 curtain-raiser, have moved into their second straight end-of-round final with yesterday’s result.
In the feature, Constant Spring looked more organised and had the better scoring opportunties.
With just two minutes gone, Victor Samuels threatened with a scorching left-footed drive which fortuitously ricocheted off the leg of an Arnett defender.
In what seemed like less than a heart-beat, the North St Andrew team followed up on the earlier attempt when Damion Benjamin’s vicious 30-yarder flashed wide.
Arnett responded in the seventh, but Everton Bunsie’s rasping grounder from 25 yards was easily gathered by goalie, Kirk Williams.
Defender, Gerald Neil, made a forging run in the 16th and unleashed an 18-yard shot, but Williams was equal to the task.
At the 30-minute mark, the homesters, like a flower in full bloom, gave the packed house a magical moment of football to savour.
The veteran, Dean Sewell, who was imperious throughout, had ripped the Arnett middle with a delicate pass to a wide Fabian Watkins, who in turn directed a pin-point cross to debutant, Dave Clarke, but the former Tivoli Gardens man hung his head in disbelief when Julian Mcleish plucked his close-ranger off the line and over the cross-bar.
“… I think the team played well … hopefully today’s performance will signal a turnaround for us,” said Constant Spring’s Charles Edwards.
The second half continued to see “Spring” looking the more threatening. In the 62nd, a flighted cross from Shawn Hunter found an unmarked Clarke whose lunging shot went wide.
“This is another disappointing performance although I believe that we created a few good chances,” lamented Jerome Waite, Arnett’s coach.
The result moves Arnett to nine points in this round and 36 overall, while “Spring” go to eight and 19.
Constant Spring – Kirk Williams, Shawn Hunter, Marlon Bennett, Ajai Authers, Dean Sewell, Fabian Watkins (Sheldon Wedderburn 65th), Victor Samuels, Oneil Brown (Oneal Morrison 78th), Damion Benjamin, Dave Clarke (Jermaine Richards 69th) and Oneil McDonald.
Arnett Gardens – Julian McLeish, Wayne Ellis, Shane Stevens, Alex Thomas, Gregory Messam, Gerald Neil, Cornel Chin-Sue, Everton Bunsie (Kevin Blair 52nd), Damion Coleman (Oneil Marshall 60th), Leon Strickland and Kevin Wilson (Shane Johnson 82nd).
Booked: Chin-Sue (13th), Bunsie (44th) and Ellis (72nd).
Referee: Lloyd Harrison.
Assistants: Eric Henry and Donovan Muir.
Fourth Official: Carlton Harriott-Houslin.
Match Commissary: Horace Lewis.