TG continue climb up RSPL table

Tivoli Gardens heaped pressure on rivals Arnett Gardens in the battle for a top six spot in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) after a comfortable 5-1 win over relegation-bound Vere United at the Edward Seaga Complex yesterday.

Davian Garrison (11th and 28th) scored two for the west Kingston team to take his tally to seven on the season. The other goals came from Stephen Barnett, who opened the scoring after 35 seconds, while Trayvon Reid (19th) and Anthony Nelson (70th) also scored one each.

Narado Brown netted Vere’s consolation.

Tivoli now have 43 points, the same as Dunbeholden, who they lead on goal difference. They are also two ahead of seventh-place Arnett Gardens, who play leaders Waterhouse this evening.

Tivoli’s coach Philip Williams urged his team to keep pushing for a play-off spot and expects a difficult run-in as the season approaches its climax.

“We are at the business end of the competition, and we have to put together a couple good results, and today was one of them. We earmarked this as one of the winnable games, and the guys stuck to the task today and completed the job. We know it is going to be difficult (to qualify) because everybody is shaping up, those trying to stop relegation and those trying to qualify for a play off spot,” Williams said.

OVERWHELMED

“We have ambitions of being in the playoffs, and we know what we need to do to secure that spot, and that is to win games. We stand a good chance of making it. The results are showing, and the guys are really taking hold of what we are trying to do, and they are overwhelmed with confidence right now,” Williams added.

The result lifted Tivoli two places to fifth, past rivals Arnett Gardens, who need to beat Waterhouse this evening to regain a top six place in the standings.

At the Edward Seaga Complex, Barnett fired the host into the lead after just 35 seconds, pouncing on a mistake from a defender before hitting a half-volley into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Garrison then finished off a low ball, which was played across the six yards area, to make it 2-0 for the hosts. Reid then redirected another superb low pass across the area in the 19th minute to put the home team 3-0 up, and Garrison made it 4-0 in the 28th minute as Tivoli took a comfortable 4-0 lead at the break.

Vere pulled a goal back when Brown capitilised on a mistake to fire past Deron Duncan, but Tivoli restored their four-goal advantage minutes later when Barnett found Nelson at the back post for an easy tap-in.

Also yesterday, Portmore (46) beat UWI 3-1 to move into third on goal difference ahead of Humble Lion (46), who drew 0-0 with Dunbeholden. Eighth-place Harbour View stopped Molynes 2-0 to move to 39 points, two adrift of Arnett.

But with four games to go, Molynes (29) can mathematically secure their place in the league for next season with one more point. After Sunday’s defeats, Vere (18) and UWI (18) are all but relegated.