Reno put up brave fight

by

March 15, 2019

Photo

Shevan James (left) of Dunbeholden and Reno’s Renorio Downswell battle for the ball during the Red Stripe Premier League match between Dunbeholden and FC Reno at Royal Lakes Sports Complex on Sunday, March 10.

FC Reno’s Fancy-Hue Stewart (centre) drives forward while being closely marked by Cavalier’s Jamoy Topey (left) and his teammate Leonardo Rankine during their Red Stripe Premier League match at the Stadium East field earlier this season. FC Reno was relegated from the Red Stripe Premier League yesterday after going down 3-2 to Mount Pleasant FA.

Three-time champions FC Reno became the first team to be relegated from the 2018/19 Red Stripe Premier League yesterday.

Despite putting up a strong fight, Mount Pleasant FA put the final nail in the coffin with a 3-2 win at the Frome Sports Complex.

Renaio Downswell gave Reno the lead just four minutes into the game but Jordaine Fletcher's 37th-minute strike ensured that the contest was levelled at the break.

The St Ann-based team took the ascendency again when Kevaughn Issacs scored two minutes into the second half, but a determined passage of play from the desperate Reno team drew parity again through Javier Brown four minutes later.

And just when the few Reno fans were starting to believe they could get something from the game, Kesslon Hall, the former Happy Gove School striker, found the net in the 79th to seal Reno's relegation.

expressed disappointment

Former player Lynval 'Pala' Wilson Sr, who was in charge of the team yesterday, expressed disappointment in seeing the club he holds dear to his heart relegated again from top-flight football.

"It's disheartening knowing that the club has a rich tradition over the years and to see it come to this is just sad. I think the Westmoreland people just need to go back and start the ream afresh again," said Wilson, who is coach of the St Bess FC in St Elizabeth.

"I think the team has the ability to do much better than what they are doing. I think the organisation and the coaching aspect is where the downfall is."

He continued: "As you can see I just come for the first day and just shoutout and give them some directives to help them to play made a lot of different as Mount Pleasant had to dig for the win. And with a far lesser team than Mt Pleasant, we could have gotten the win."

Reno's captain Lynval Wilson Jr, who was very emotional after the game told STAR Sports that despite putting up a fight, a lot of issues contributed to their downfall this season.

"The season started off pretty much OK for us until the second round it just start collapse and we just kept going down, down, down, because of different types of issues," Wilson Jr said.

Results

Reno 2 - 3 Mount Pleasant

Humble Lion 2 - 0 Tivoli Gardens

UWI 1 - 2 MoBay Utd.

Portmore Utd 0 - 0 Waterhouse

Cavalier 1 - 2 Harbour View

Arnett 0 - 0 Dunbeholden

Points Standings

Portmore United 60

Waterhouse FC 56

Mount Pleasant FA 54

Cavalier SC 50