Cavalier rebuilding for JPL play-offs
Published:Tuesday | May 2, 2023 | 1:27 AM
Following young Adrian Reid Jr’s brace from the penalty spot in Cavalier’s 4-2 win over Molynes United in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) at the Anthony Spaulding Sport Complex last night, coach Rudolph Speid said he is confident his team will do well in the play-offs.
Cavalier will lose two key players, defender and captain Richard King and forward Dwayne Atkinson, ahead of the play-offs. Both are due to take up contracts in Iceland and Speid was pleased with his test run with his young replacements last night.
“King, (Kyle) Ming and Atkinson were out. Shaniel Thomas was also doubtful, so we didn’t use him. But I am pleased with our rebuilding process before the play-offs,” he said.
“The part I didn’t like was the amount of chances that we missed. It could have easily been double figures if we had taken all the chances.
“Collin (Anderson) could have gone out of sight with the Golden Boot if he had just taken his chances.
“But the Man of the Match was young Adrian Reid. He stepped in and filled really big boots. That is Richard King’s position and he stepped in there and delivered,” Speid said.
In a lively and open contest, Brian Eldershot fired Cavalier in front after 32 minutes and Anderson added his 17th goal of the season five minutes later.
However, eight minutes after the break, Molynes pulled a goal back when Jason Wright netted from close range.
However, Reid, the 16-year-old St George’s College defender, was also called upon twice to deliver from the spot and he calmly dispatched both kicks in the same corner past Peter Harrison in the Molynes United goal.
The first in the 62nd minute restored their two-goal advantage before he added the other in the 82nd minute.
‘In training he (Reid) is the best penalty taker we have and were were only 2-1 up and we wanted to be sure of the points,” Speid said.
Wright also got a second goal from the spot for Molynes two minutes from time to bring his tally for the season to 11 goals and cut the deficit back to two.
Cavalier moved to 49 points and reclaimed top spot in the standings on goal difference over Arnett Gardens before last night’s late game. Molynes stayed in ninth on 30 points.