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Portmore secure RSPL million-dollar prize

Published:Monday | March 18, 2019 | 12:00 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Mark Miller (right) from Waterhouse tries to get away from Kevin Seivwright from Tivoli Gardens during a Red Stripe Premier League match at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday. Waterhouse won 4-2.

Portmore United secured the $1-million prize for topping the regular season of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL)after battering relegation favourites Montego Bay United 5-1 at Wespow Park in the penultimate round of games yesterday.

The top six teams in the league have also sealed their places for the play-offs with a round of games to go, with Waterhouse (59), Mount Pleasant (57), Cavalier (51), UWI (46), and Arnett Gardens (45) joining Portmore (63) in the next phase of the tournament.

However, Montego Bay United delayed their departure from the league for the last match day despite being blown away by champions Portmore. Schoolboy Lamar Walker netted a brace, while Roshane Sharpe, Andre Lewis and Cleon Pryce scored one each to give the champions a comfortable victory over the former winners, who are all but demoted from the RSPL.

MoBay are second from bottom with 30 points, three adrift of Dunbeholden with one match to go. However, the goal difference between the teams is massive, and MoBay will need to win by 15 goals and hope Dunbeholden lose for them to have a chance of remaining in the top flight.

At the Edward Seaga Sports Complex, Waterhouse stopped Tivoli Gardens 4-2 to stay second. Kenroy Howell powered the visitors with a brace in the fourth and 57th minutes, with an own goal in the seventh minute compounding the misery for Tivoli. Andre Fletcher then sealed the win for Waterhouse with a 76th-minute strike. Jermaine ‘Teddy’ Johnson (15th) and Colorado Murray (59th), who climbed to the top of the scoring chart with 12 goals, were the scorers for Tivoli Gardens. The home team played the last 36 minutes of the match a man short after Howard Morris received a second yellow card in the 54th.

HAPPY WITH WIN

Despite missing out on the million-dollar prize, Waterhouse assistant coach Daniel Hunt said everyone was happy with the win.

“The performance was well-deserved. We scored four goals, but we could have had six, and we are still happy for the three points. It was a good all-round performance. We are very happy, and this win was very important. Now, we can’t be complacent, we have a game against MoBay on Wednesday. But we want to be the champions of the Premier League, and that’s what we are working towards,” he said, pointing to the play-off round.

Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant beat Arnett Gardens 1-0 to consolidate third spot and have a chance of going second if Waterhouse lose their final match. Arnett Gardens slipped to sixth but are not in danger of dropping out of the top six due to Tivoli’s defeat.