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Dunbeholden dumbfounded - Coaching change blamed for performance against Cavalier in opener

Published:Tuesday | September 3, 2019 | 12:25 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Cavalier striker Alex Marshal (left) tries to get away from  Deandre Thomas (right) and Kemar Philpotts, both of  Dunbeholden, during Sunday’s Red Stripe Premier League encounter at Stadium East. Cavalier won the game 3-1.
Cavalier striker Alex Marshal (left) tries to get away from Deandre Thomas (right) and Kemar Philpotts, both of Dunbeholden, during Sunday’s Red Stripe Premier League encounter at Stadium East. Cavalier won the game 3-1.

Dunbeholden assistant coach, Ricardo Smith said thatthe last-minute coaching change totally unsettled the players and the club on a whole, going into their opening Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) fixture against Cavalier at Stadium East on Sunday.

However, he said that they were forced to put the issue aside and focus on the task at hand and that although they were defeated 3-1 by last season’s semi-finalists, he believes that they have to now put the situation behind them once and for all and move on for the better.

Head coach Riegel Smith, who left the club for unknown reasons after leading them to a 10th-place finish in their debut season over the last campaign, returned to replace Fabian Taylor, who had been brought over from Harbour View, where he hadreplaced Ricardo Gardner as head coach.

The relationship between Taylor and the administration soured ahead of the start of the campaign, leading to the coach and the club parting ways.

Jerk to system

“It ( the coaching change) was a real jerk to our club’s system, but we had to come to the game and play. We couldn’t forfeit the game, so we had to put that in the back of our heads and come out and play our game to the best of our ability. So the next game we have to do better. We have to keep working,” Smith said.

He thought the team gave a solid performance against Cavalier on Sunday but made some grave mistakes that cost them three goals and three points.

“There are a few players [in the squad] that are not on par with the rest of the team, so we have to get them up to par, so this performance will not be repeated in the next game on Sunday. We played our game, but poor errors cost us the game.

Three errors. We are not going to elaborate on it, but we will pick up ourselves and come to the next game,” he added.

“We could have kept the ball a little more, but we kept making long passes too soon from our half of the pitch, and when we hit those long passes, the opponent got the ball and came back at us. They weren’t much threat, but we gave them three goals today, and they won,” said Smith.

He also noted that the club was pleased to have added former Waterhouse forward Rodave Murray, to their roster for this season and he expects the former Dinthill star to have a big impact on their performance this term.

“He is a good player and I am sure he is going to help us through the season, a lot,” Smith stated.