Wadadah seeks rebound
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Fresh from Monday’s stinging loss to Reno FC, Wadadah FC will seek to get back to winning ways this afternoon, when they take on Holland United in a Jamaica Football Federation’s Captain’s Bakery and Grill Western Confederation Super League third round game at Jarrett Park, set to start at 5:00pm.
Monday’s 2-0 beating was Wadadah’s first loss in league play since mid-December last year, ending a 10 -game unbeaten run.
But the Daniel Ricketts- coached team could still book a place in the semi-finals this weekend, as they will face Granville United at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College on Sunday.
Despite the loss, Wadadah and Reno are tied on 27 points and almost certain to make it to the semi-finals with three games left to be played.
Today, Wadadah FC should get the better of Holland who are on a mini resurgence and are also seeking a place in the top four. They are currently in fifth place on 19 points.
Also today, Village United who are losing the race for a semi-final place, will face an improving Norwood Strikers at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, set to start at 3:30pm.
The promoted Norwood have won their last two games and are unbeaten in their last three, moving up to mid- tables in seventh place on 16 points, just behind Village United.
On Monday, Reno got goals in each half from Orane Warren and Denmark Gillings in a game that was marked by flare-ups, especially after what Wadadah players thought was a goal, was disallowed.
Warren gave Reno the lead in the 32nd minute with an audacious chip over goalkeeper Triston Bernard that just dipped under the cross bar. Reno had been awarded a free kick on the edge of the Wadadah area and the ball played to Warren just on the edge of area.
Reno should have doubled the lead mid- way the second half, but Gillings managed to scoop the ball over the unprotected goal from about three feet out.
Tempers, which were on the edge from the first half, boiled over after assistant referee Ojay Dehaney disallowed what Wadadah thought was a goal.
A Wadadah player fired a loose ball towards the goal but a Reno defender who held on to the net for support booted away the ball.
The game was held up for about five minutes, as the Wadadah players and coaches vented their anger at the decision.
Soon after the game resumed, Gillings made the points safe for the Westmoreland club, when he got away from the Wadadah FC defence on the right flank and fired a low hard shot past Bernard and into the far corner in the 87th minute.
Three more games will be played Sunday. Granville will host Wadadah, Tomorrow’s People will take on Logwood at Bickersteth, while Bamboo United and Harmony will meet at Bamboo.