Gardner calls for P’more consistency

Since the start of the second round of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), Portmore United and league leaders Waterhouse are the only two teams to have registered maximum points from their two outings.

Portmore are currently sixth in the standings with 18 points after an inconsistent first round, which included three wins, three draws, and five defeats.

However, after victories over Tivoli Gardens and Mount Pleasant at the start of this round, coach Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner is looking to stabilise the ship with more consistent performances and believes that their strong start has provided a major boost to his team’s confidence.

“When you win, it builds confidence. We just want to develop a little more consistency, so we just have to continue to work on what we need to work on during the week and continue to assess our game and do the things we are doing well and fix the things we are not doing so well,” Gardner told The Gleaner.

“The attitude of the players have been brilliant. We just have to continue on the path that we are on and continue with the performances like the shift we put in (on Sunday), and I am sure the results will fix themselves. If we play like this 90 per cent of the time, we will come out on top,” Gardner stated.

The former Reggae Boyz captain also praised strikers Corey Burke and Rondee Smith, who came under the microscope recently for their lack of goals.

However, Smith netted the winner against Tivioli Gardens two weeks ago, and Burke’s brace led the team to victory over Mount Pleasant on Sunday. Gardner reaffirmed his belief that his front men would eventually come good.

“They are quality players, and once they get going, opportunities will come,” Gardner said.

WINNING STREAK ENDED

The defending champions ended Mount Pleasant’s five-match winning streak with a 2-0 win at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on Sunday, and Gardner said that he was proud of his team’s application of their tactics and their approach throughout the contest.

“We knew Mount Pleasant were going to come with an energy, but what they brought, we contained it and made sure they didn’t capitalise during those moments. We started bright and got the goals, but we could have managed the game a little better towards the end.

“But I am proud of what we did. We went out from start to finish and didn’t give them time to play, especially in the first 15 minutes, and then we executed at the opposite end. It was also good to get two goals plus a clean sheet in a game,” Gardner noted.

Portmore will play away to Waterhouse at the Drewsland Stadium in the next round of games. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first-round meeting at the Spanish Town Prison Oval three Sundays ago.