Late goal earns point for Vere Phoenix

Humble Lion head coach Donovan Duckie was livid that his team gave up a stoppage-time goal following their 1-1 draw with a 10-man Vere Phoenix in their Jamaica Premier League encounter at the Wembley Centre of Excellence yesterday.

Duckie’s team dominated proceedings for the majority of the contest in difficult, wet conditions, and they looked certain for three points after they took the lead in the 73rd minute, but a late strike in 90-plus minutes rescued a point for the Lenworth Hyde-coached Vere Phoenix.

For Duckie, the game was one for which they should have got maximum points, and he made it clear how disappointed he was following the final whistle.

“I am very disappointed, but congrats to the referee and his team for managing a difficult game. We created 13 chances and only had the penalty to show. We played well but were dismal in front of goal,” Duckie said.

Hyde said he was happy for the point especially after going down to 10 men.

“With the condition of the outfield and how the game went, I will gladly accept the point. Seeing that we were playing at home, we wanted to win the game, but the wet conditions didn’t allow us to play our usual game,” the Vere Phoenix coach said.

GOOD SAVE

Earlier, Humble Lion started brightly despite the tough conditions, with Andre Clennon coming close in the 17th minute. His header from a left-sided cross was expertly saved by Vere Phoenix goalkeeper Shakur Adair.

The resulting corner produced another close call as Humble Lion’s Kemar Mullings shot over the bar during a melee inside the six-yard box.

The pressure from Humble Lion continued, and in the 26th minute, midfielder Karim Bryan unleashed a powerful 26-yard strike, but once again, Adair stood tall, producing another fine save to keep the game level.

The pivotal moment of the match came late in the second half as Vere Phoenix defender Michael Forbes, while battling in the slippery conditions, lost his footing and brought down Clennon in the penalty area. Referee Daneon Parchment did not hesitate to point to the spot and showed Forbes a red card for the foul. Bryan stepped up to calmly slot the ball home, putting Humble Lion ahead.

Despite being a man down, Vere Phoenix fought back in the dying moments of the contest. A minute into stoppage time, forward Josiah Daniel slipped a neat pass to schoolboy substitute Kishane Gordon, who cut inside and fired a low shot past the Humble Lion goalkeeper, levelling the score at 1-1.

In the other early Sunday match Harbour View made their return to the Compound a memorable one, following a 2-1 win over Molynes United.