The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Cement, Gleaner in stalemate

by Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

The Gleaner's striker Oneil 'Skillo' Morrison (no 11) beats Carib Cement's defender Troy Spence in a tackle for the ball during yesterday's KSAFA/Western Sports Division I Business House football match at Barbiican playfield. Looking on from left are The Gleaner's Dwayne Thompson and Ayuanga Barrett of Cement. The match ended 0-0. - Ricardo Makyn

Long-time rivals Carib Cement and The Gleaner, both former champions, played to a goalless draw in their opening round KSAFA/Western Sports Business House Division I football encounter at Barbican playfield, yesterday.

Meanwhile, pre-season favou-rites Supreme Ventures Limited, boasting four Premier League players, drubbed UWI 7-1 in their opening match at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Aimless kicking

The Jerome Waite-coached Supreme Ventures led 3-0 at half time, thanks to goals from Chevar Walters (5th minute), Donovan Bernard (7th) and Kemar Edwards (11th). After the interval, Kwame Richardson made it 4-0 in the 70th minute, before UWI pulled back a goal, then Dwayne Small (penalty), Damani Glenn and André Thomas finished the job. The Carib Cement versus Gleaner match was marked by aimless kicking, rough play and missed chances. If that wasn't enough, both teams finished with 10 players. Cement's midfielder Twain Wynter was sent off late in the first half for a vicious tackle (elbow in face) against Gleaner's central midfielder George Stephen, whose teammate Donovan Alvaranga was ejected midway the second half for a second bookable offence.

Good start

Alvaranga was having a good game up to that point and combined with Oneil 'Skillo' Morrison, Kevin Samuels, Kieron Brock and particularly captain and centre-half Bernard 'Blacks' Blackwood to pressure their opponents for most of the first half. Morrison got the first real chance of the match in the 12th minute when his looping right side shot was parried at the far post for a corner by Cement's goalkeeper Iran Thorpe.

However, with the injection of former Gleaner striker Fabian Nethersole, Carib Cement lifted their game in the second half and with Jermaine 'Fast Car' Rowe, the hard running Ayuanga 'Yungi' Barrett and former national player Milton Griffiths, along with Marcus' Funnyman' McDonald and Troy Spence, forced Gleaner on the defensive for long periods. However, they failed to hit the back of the net.

In the closing minutes, Morrison got a golden opportunity to win the match for Gleaner, muffing a perfect cross from Samuels after slipping in front of the goal and recovering to shoot wide from close range.

Carib Cement's coach Paul Laidley was not impressed by his team's performance, saying "the chemistry is not there as yet. We can definitely play a lot better, but we did not have enough practice matches and we will be better for the next game."

Not up to speed

Gleaner's player/coach, Rudolph Spied, said his team did not play up to its full potential.

"We created the chances but lacked finish. In the circumstances I think a draw is a fair result," he said.

"When they introduced Nethersole at the start of the second half, we knew from his experience playing with us that he would always be dangerous, so we changed our game plan and it threw us a bit off track."