Hodges brace leads Rivoli past Village
RIVOLI United secured their first win of the second round and third of the season after rallying from a goal down to thrash Village United 4-2 in the Digicel Premier League at Prison Oval on Sunday.
This moved the Spanish Town based team to 16 points and into eighth position in the 12-team standings.
Village took the lead against the run of play through Maricio Gordon Gordon in the 15th minute. The midfielder ran on to a forward pass from Teofore Bennett and fired his low shot under Rivoli’s diving goalkeeper Demetrio Brown.
However, Rivoli rallied on the back of the talisman Devon Hodges to take a 2-1 lead before half-time. Hodges, last season’s leading scorer, played a neat give-and-go with Valentino Gardener before slamming his effort into the roof of the net in 26th minute. Gardener connected with Hodges again three minutes later to good effected. The national striker collected the pass outside the box, held off two defenders, before placing his right-footed effort to the right of Village’s custodian Kemar Llewellyn in the 29th minute.
Gardener then pounced on a goalkeeping error in the 66th minute to volley home a bicycle shot. Super substitute David Lewis scored Rivoli’s fourth in the 71th minute, just five minutes after being introduced. He spectacularly fired home a long-range rebound from 30 yards, giving Llewellyn no chance to save.
With Rivoli pressing for more goals, Jeff Pearce notched a second for Village in the 89th minute.The dread-locked player outumped his marker at the back post to head home a left-sided cross provided by Bennett.
Teams: Rivoli United — Omar Parker, Ricardo Knight, Martin King,
Fabian Gordon, Valentine Gardener, Barrington Planter (Jermaine Miller 71st), Devon Hodges, Fidel Anderson (Davis Lewis 66th), Derrick Planter, Demetrio Brown, Kemar Brown (Showmari Granville 66th).
Subs not used: Luke Soares, Mark Newsome, Jermaine Oakley
Booked: F Anderson (55th), J Miller (88th)
Village United — Kemar Llewellyn, Troy Smith, Andre Moore, Lance Laing (Kenardo Wilson 71st), Orlando McBean, Ladale Richie, Ronique Frances (Levardo Whyte 71st), Maricio Gordon, Teofore Bennett, Jeff Pearce, Everett Mullings (Shavar Campbell 80th).
Subs not used: Jermaine Henry, Elvis Hart, Raymond Thompson, Andre Williams
Booked: L Richie (48th), K Wilson (78th)
Referee: Oneal Clayton
Assistants: Kedlee Powell, Antonette Williams
Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle.
Match Commissary: Uken Campbell
— Kayon Raynor