AUGUST Town FC earned promotion to the top-tier Red Stripe Premier League after a 1-0 win over Volvo FC in their All-Island Confederation play-off match at the UWI playfield yesterday.

Lennox Creary got the crucial goal in the 39th minute when his looped free kick from the right side eluded goalkeeper Ruel Wilson.

The victory propelled August Town to 10 points and secured their return to the top of national club football after being relegated three seasons ago.

They join the already qualified Rivoli United, who topped the four-team standings with 14 points.

Coach of August Town Christopher Bender was pleased with the promotion, while relieved that his team survived nervous moments late in the match.

“I’m elated in terms of setting out with an objective and achieving it. I want to congratulate the players, the management team and the community support.

“You play a game like this and you know anxiety is going to set in… it was important that we got the job done,” Bender said.

The away team could have made the closing moments even more tense had they taken a glorious chance.

Volvo’s Donavan Miller missed a glaring sitter when he nodded over the crossbar from close range.

Their coach, David Pryce, lamented that missed chances was the story of Volvo’s below-par play-off campaign, where they finished last with four points.

“We are disappointed we didn’t qualify, but we’ve been outplaying teams and missing opportunities. We know where we were let down, so we just have to congratulate August Town and Rivoli and try again next season,” Pryce said.

The other team in the play-off, Wadadah, ended in third with six points.

Meanwhile, substitute Corey Burke got Rivoli’s goal in their win over Wadadah at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

The match also marked significantly the final one for the veteran Derrick Planter, who was given a guard of honour by his teammates before the kick-off in a show of respect for his years as Rivoli player.

The home team had the first real chance to score, but Garth Johnson wasted a precise pass from player/coach Daniel Ricketts

in the 11th minute, then overlapping defender Derrick Allen headed weakly to the goalkeeper in the

19th minute.

Jason Wallace wasted a chance for Rivoli in the 23rd minute, scooping high from point-blank range with goalkeeper Triston Bernard at his mercy.