Barnett ready to help lead Tivoli youth

Amid an unexpected Tivoli Gardens rebuild, striker Stephen Barnett said that he has embraced the added responsibility of leadership that it will take to mount another play-off charge this season.

Stephen Barnett, the STAR of Week 7 of the Jamaica Premier League, scored the lone goal in his club's 1-0 over Molynes United on Sunday, finally getting the club their first win of the season at the sixth time of asking. His 31st-minute strike was the breakthrough in what turned out to be a personal duel between himself and Molynes United goalkeeper Peter Harrison. With the added pressure to finally get three points, Barnett said that he had to remain composed to get the break the club needed.

"I put myself under a bit of pressure, so maybe that's why he was coming up with the saves," Barnett told THE WEEKEND STAR. "The team needed to perform at a better standard than what we are doing now, so it was that kind of pressure as well. But I just tried to bounce back and keep a clear head for the next chance that I got."

Tivoli had to reshuffle their plans for the 2022 campaign after the departure of Devroy Gray and Trayvone Reid, two key players that head coach Philip Williams said were part of their long-term plans to return to the top of the league. In their absence, Barnett said that he recognises the responsibility that he now has to help guide the young players towards matching and surpassing last season's semi-final run.

TEAM WORK

"Having me there, they always tell me that I lead from the front," he said. "They are looking for me to lead the line. So I lead from the front and we all work as a team together.

"We can get there again (the semi-finals) and we told them that we can even go an extra step. So we just have to do what we have to do in training and get the results that we need."

It has been a gradual process that Barnett says has seen signs of improvement, hoping that their continued togetherness will get them to their desired destination.

"We just stay motivating each other, motivating the youngsters that have come on board and letting them know that we are all on the same level now. So we all have to work together and to pull each other up," Barnett said.