Reno break UWI jinx - Former champs pick up first three points

Thorn Simpson's second-minute strike proved to be enough as FC Reno defeated UWI FC for the first time at home in the Red Stripe Premier League since being prompted in 2016.

It was also Reno's first points of the 2018/2019 season.

Before Sunday's 1-0 win, Reno and UWI FC had played five times at the Frome Sports Complex, resulting in two draws and three wins for UWI.

Godfrey Drummond, coach of Reno, who applauded the defensive unit, said the win was a very crucial one for them given the internal work being done at the club.

"It's very important to get our first win because in any competition it is good picking up three points. Having gone three weeks without getting a point wasn't really saying much," said Drummond.

"We understood how important it was to play against a UWI team that we have never beaten (at home). As a result of that, we were able to put in some work during the week to counter what they had to offer. We actually shifted the system to counter their play ..." he added. "Importantly, we got the goal early ... we organised ourselves defensively, stayed behind the ball, and as a result, we came away with maximum points."

Drummond attributed Sunday's win to the belief they now have in the players.

"This week was a very difficult one. We had a lot of differences in the club that we had to iron out. However, we know that we have to be steadfast with our belief in the players to let them know that we could win. Once we had that we saw a change of attitude that was evident today as the players were more organised, stuck to the task, and carried out instructions better than the previous games," said Drummond.

He said getting the result was "overwhelming" for him.

"We wanted to get this (two) year-old monkey off our backs. I have to give commendations to all the players but more so the defensive end who followed instructions to the 'T'" he added.