Reno working overtime to avoid relegation

by

March 19, 2016

Photo

@Normal:FC Reno coach Michael Graham shouting instructions from the sidelines during a recent Red Stripe Premier League football match.

Western Bureau:

When the Westmoreland-based Reno Football Club undertook an administrative shake-up early in the 2015-16 league season to come out with a fresh, new-looking brand, FC Reno, it signalled the intent of the once proud club to again be counted among the contenders for the Red Stripe Premier League crown.

Things have, however, gone a similar route to recent years. A respectable start to the campaign, which saw the team holding a top-four spot for a period, has given way to another big slide down the table.

FC Reno are now back in a race they don't need, a race to avoid relegation as the 32 points they have accumulated from 29 matches make them a shade better off than Waterhouse FC, 11th (28 points), and Rivoli United, 12th (27 points), the two clubs currently occupying the drop zone.

A look at the league table shows exactly why the Michael Graham-coached team is in such trouble again.

They have conceded a whopping 45 goals so far this season, the worse defensive record in the league. This is so despite having a couple of very good central defenders in their squad, and the coaching staff will have to sort it through pretty quickly if they are to escape the ignominy of another fall.

"We recognise what problems we have. It is clear that our defensive record is nowhere near where we like it to be. We are putting in some extra work to fix that problem," noted Graham in a recent interview.

"There is not much time left in terms of matches to hold our place in the league, and as a proud club, we seriously don't want to be relegated again," he said.

Their dilemma was made worse when they gave up a 2-1 lead at home on Sunday to allow Portmore United to get a share of the points. A win would have seen them easing away from trouble, especially now that Waterhouse are threatening to mount a dramatic late escape.