Speid downplays recent Cavalier form

Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid said his team is still too inconsistent to be considered the team to beat from here on in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), after his young and exciting Cavalier aggregation dismantled an experienced and proven 10-man Portmore United 3-0 in the feature game at Stadium East yesterday.

Kaheem Parris (10th), Chevone Marsh (24th) and Alex Marshall (66th) all scored for Speid's team to lift the 'Whites' to third in the table on 38 points. Cavalier have now gone six games without defeat, which includes four victories. But the Cavalier boss said they will have to produce the type of performance they put in against Portmore every week to be taken as a serious threat.

"I still think we are inconsistent. But if we produce this type of performance every week, then we will be hard to beat. But the third round is going to be the hardest round, so we plan to come out of the blocks early and stay as far away as we can from the seventh placed team.

"If we can get in the top six, which is our objective, then we will think about winning the title. We have 10 games to go in this round and any number can play, so we are just working hard to stay away from seventh place," he added.

IMPRESSIVE ATTACKING DISPLAY

The team's attacking display has been very impressive over the last month, but Speid was quick to point out that the defence has only conceded three times in the six games, and that has also been key to their progress.

"The last game against Tivoli, we didn't play with our vice-captain Kamoy Simpson, so we were a little short at the back, but today he came back and we were much more solid. We gave a good account of ourselves defensively. But all the elements of our game are coming together, both the defensive and the attack and the midfield play. We used to give up the ball a lot easier; now the defence can be resting while we keep the ball, so that helps them somewhat,' he reasoned.

At Stadium East, Parris handed Cavalier the lead after he picked up a through ball from Paul Wilson, cut inside his defender and fired a low shot past Shaven-Sean Paul. Minutes later, Michael Binns was shown the red card for a lunging tackle on Jerome Smith.

Marsh made it 2-0 when he waltzed through the Portmore defence and flicked the ball past Paul. Marshall added the third when he turned home a free-kick midway the second half.

Speid, however, said that the sending off did not change the outcome of the game. "We were leading already, so I don't think it's a big factor, of course it made it easier afterwards, but we were primed and ready to go and they looked as if they were going to get beaten, whether they got a red card or not," he said.

Portmore still lead the league with 47 points, three more than defending champions Arnett Gardens, who had a 5-0 win away at Sandals South Coast FC.