Anderson’s brace lifts Cavalier over Humble Lion
Published:Tuesday | January 10, 2023 | 1:36 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
THE high-flying Cavalier, coached by Rudolph Speid, continued their impressive start to the 2022-23 Jamaica Premier League season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Humble Lion at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.
The Andrew Price-coached Humble Lion grabbed the evening’s opening goal in the 21st minute thanks to captain Andrew Vanzie’s conversion from the penalty spot following a clumsy challenge from Cavalier’s custodian Jaedine White.
After heading into the halftime tunnel trailing 1-0, Speid’s Cavalier took only four minutes into the second half to level the score when the in-form Collin Anderson took advantage of sloppy defending and headed home from close range. In the 62nd minute, Anderson placed his name on the scoring chart a second time, making it five goals in his last three games. He expertly put his effort inside the net following Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson’s brilliant footwork to manoeuvre through two Humble Lion defenders. Cavalier who have now scored 10 goals in their last four games stretched their unbeaten run to four games.
“I’m very pleased considering the depth of the squad as today we didn’t even make a change. Our national under-17 players are in camp, so we decided not to call them and go into the match with what we had,” said Speid.
Despite suffering an early setback, coach Speid revealed that it initially took him some time to figure out the style of play Humble Lion were deploying in the opening stages of the fixture.
“It really took me a little while to work out what they were doing,” said Speid who was happy to be only one goal down at halftime.
The Cavalier coach said his instructions for the second half worked out well. “We just said we are younger, so just upped the tempo,” Speid said.
It was the third defeat of the season for the Andrew Price-coached Humble Lion and yesterday’s loss also snapped a three-game win streak.
Price described the evening’s outing as a game of two halves.
“It was a game of two halves, we dominated for long periods in the first half and we should have probably increased our lead going into the halftime break. In the second half, we came out very flat and then we allowed Cavalier to get into the game and score two goals at the back post from balls we are normally good at and I was really disappointed to give up those two goals,” Price said.
“We just have to learn from this game, take it on the chin and just get ready for the next one,” he added.
With yesterday’s win Cavalier remained in second spot with 19 points, one behind leaders Mount Pleasant.