ROSS Burton’s fourth minute goal gave hosts Rivoli United a 1-0 win over struggling Reno FC in the Red Stripe Premier League encounter at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on Sunday.

The three points and their fourth victory on the trot put Rivoli on 28 points.

Reno, without league-leading goalscorer Craig Foster through injury, saw their losing streak extend to three straight.

Rivoli’s head coach Calvert Fitzgerald was pleased with the victory, but blamed his players for a below-par effort in the second half.

“I’m happy for the three points but I think my players showed indiscipline in the second half and that could have cost us.

“We weren’t playing as a team and that’s a reason we missed so many chances. We have to address that before the next game,” he told reporters.

Reno stalwart Wendell Downswell, after his second game since reclaiming head coach duties at the club, remained optimistic. “We are disappointed with the loss, but I saw some positives from the game. We played fairly well and with a little luck we could have stolen a point,” Downswell said.

It was a vibrant start by the confident Rivoli outfit in fairly windy afternoon conditions, and they deservedly took the lead early in the encounter.

Burton, the long-limbed midfielder, latched onto a pass inside the opponents’ 18-yard box and powered a low shot in at the near post beyond Reno’s goalkeeper Chad Blair.

Rivoli continued to dominate the first half, but a combination of the uneven playing surface and a sometimes stiff breeze undermined their attackers.

And the home team almost paid for the missed opportunities when Reno’s Rondell Morris saw his header flash just wide of goal seconds before the first half ended.

The visitors came close again within the opening three minutes of the second half. The Rivoli defence failed to clear a loose ball, however Reno’s Denmark Gillings poked wide of goal.

On the hour-mark, the stocky Blair was injured in a collision with Cory Burke and had to be replaced by substitute Devaughn Hawthorne.

Burke, who heads Rivoli’s scoring charts with 10 goals in the RSPL, got an excellent chance to double the lead in the dying embers of the game.

He was fed a chipped pass from lively left-back Keith Wright and controlled on his chest neatly, however, he saw his side-footed effort from close range spectacularly blocked by Hawthorne.

Teams

Rivoli United — Damian Campbell, Kevin Graham, Troy Moulton, Jermaine Henry, Keith Wright, Jermey Nelson, Kemar Bennett, Cory Burke, Ross Burton, Jermaine Whyte (Valentine Gardener 46th), Kemar Beckford

Subs not used: Shannon Bartley, Zavian Williams, Kenny Lee, Andrew Black, Michael Evans, Anthony Greenland

Booked: Burke (84th), Burton (86th)

Reno — Chad Blair (Devaughn Hawthorne 61st), Xavion Anderson (Leonard Rankine 30th), Alburn Facey, Codean Smikle, Renorio Downswell, Rondell Morris, Riando Vassell, Linval Wilson, Denmark Gillings, Afiba Chambers, Melvin Blair (Hushane Hinds 66th)

Subs not used: Tereto Gregory, Romaine Lewis, Alvin Blair, Paul Beswick

Booked: Morris (52nd)

Referee: Daneon Parchment

Assistant Referees: Princess Brown, Nicholas Anderson

Fourth Official: Tyrone Robinson

Match Commissary: Uken Campbell