Cavalier add to Vere’s relegation woes

Cavalier deepened Vere Phoenix's relegation struggles with a 3-1 beating in their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) football match at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.

Goals from Shaquille Stein (42nd), Jalmaro Calvin (44th) and Dwayne Atkinson (67th) gave the defending champions their first win in four games.

Robinho Gordon scored Vere's consolation in the 65th minute.

With the defeat, Vere stayed rooted at the foot of the JPL on 23 points, six adrift their nearest rivals, Molynes United.

However, Vere's technical director, Craig Butler, said they will keep fighting.

"I am confident we can survive the drop. I didn't raise these boys to be quitters. And I literally raised them since pre-teens," he said.

"So we are not going to give up. It's not in our DNA. We are going to go out and fight for every game. We've faced the hardest teams already, so we just have to push through and try and get those points," he said of his team which pulled within a goal at the 65th minute, only to concede two minutes later.

"It was tough (third goal). We were just coming back and the fight was there and Cavalier was on the back foot. But Cavalier are defending champions and they sustained the pressure and countered and waited on our mistakes."

CLEAR LEAD

Cavalier's coach Rudolph Speid said his team needs to establish a clear lead on the chasing pack.

"We are not really satisfied with how we are playing. But we can only get better. We came for the three points, we needed it," he said.

"There is a little chasing pack, so it was important that we got three points."

At Effortville Community Centre, Humble Lion suffered their first home defeat in six matches, as Ronaldo Robinson scored in first-half stoppage time to give Portmore United a 1-0 win.

Humble Lion remain three points outside the relegation zone, on 32.

Portmore moved to 60 points but stayed in fourth, seven points clear of Cavalier in fifth and 15 behind leaders Mount Pleasant.

At Drax Hall, the league leaders were in sparkling form as they dispatched Harbour View 3-0 on a brace from Nicholas Nelson (59th and 61st). Gadail Irving opened the scoring for the St Ann team, who are six points clear at the top of the standings, above Montego Bay United.

At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, Waterhouse climbed two points above Tivoli into sixth place after Andre Fletcher's goal gave them a 1-0 win over Molynes United.

Waterhouse are now on 49 points, with Tivoli trailing on 47 and Racing on 45.

Molynes sit second from bottom on 29 points, six more than last place Vere and three adrift on Humble Lion and Harbour View in 12th and 11th place, respectively.

At Catherine Hall, MoBay United slammed Dunbeholden 4-0 with a brace from Jourdain Fletcher, and one goal each from Che Benny and Nazime Grant.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com