Arnett inch closer to top four

Former champions Arnett Gardens moved within three points of the top four in the Jamaica Premier League after their hard-fought 1-0 away win over Vere United at the Wembley Centre of Excellence yesterday.

The Xavier Gilbert-coached Junglists notched their 11th win from 20 games and now sit in fifth place on 38 points, three behind Portmore United, held to a 1-1 draw by Montego Bay United.

With some of their top players away with the Reggae Boyz in Trinidad, Arnett were made to grind out a positive result against Vere, who scored six goals at home last week against Lime Hall.

The Junglists soaked up some early pressure and got the go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute as some good work down the right from Rushike Kelson found Roderick Granville inside the area, who had time and space to slot past Keneil Petrie in the Vere goal.

Vere came out more purposeful in the second stanza, and they only had themselves to blame for not getting the equaliser, as striker Javon Smith fluffed an easy chance on the goal line, with custodian Eric Edwards in no man's land.

Frantic defending for the last quarter of the match saw Arnett holding on to the one goal lead and the win, which was pleasing to Gilbert.

"We knew that it would be tough playing down here with the wind and the surface and the fact that they were coming off a huge win, and also we have never won here. We weren't allowed to play our free-flowing football, but in these games, we have to find a way to get across the line, and I am glad we did," Gilbert said.

Vere's coach, Linval Dixon, blames faulty finishing for the loss, their 11th of the campaign.

"We started a bit slow, and sloppy play around the back cost us a goal, and it is hard to take. We got our chance to score, and we didn't, and it seemed like we scored all our goals from last week," said Dixon.