The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Gleaner in last eight of Business House KO

Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

The Gleaner advanced to the quarter-finals of the KSAFA/Scotia Bank-sponsored Business House KO football competition yesterday, when they defeated the highly-touted Supreme Ventures 4-1 at the Constant Spring football field.

Spearheaded

Unbeaten in both the Division I league and knockout competitions this season, Gleaner were spearheaded by two goals from the lanky midfielder Donovan Alvaranga, who opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and also netted his team's final goal in the 82nd minute, with a long solo run down the middle, his low shot inside the 18-yard box beating substitute goalkeeper Kadine Radcliffe to the far corner.

Other scorers for Gleaner, who led 3-0 at half time, were the dreadlocked striker Kevin Samuels in the 35th minute and midfielder Robert Coley in the 39th.

Despite boasting four Premier League players, the Jerome Waite-coached Supreme Ventures (SVL) were outplayed by Gleaner in the first half. The 'newsmen' strung their passes together from early through the efforts of Alvaranga, Samuels, Keiron Brock and attacking midfielder Oneil 'Skillo' Morrison and were rewarded in the 13th minute when Alvaranga headed past goalkeeper Lamar Brown from a Dwayne Thompson cross.

Missed opportunities

Despite missed opportunities by Brock and Samuels shortly after, Gleaner proceeded to tighten the screws when Samuels made it 2-0 with a low grounder in the 35th minute and Coley scored with a looping header four minutes later to make it 3-0.

Though outplayed in the first half, Supreme Ventures countered with Kwame Richardson, Donovan Bernard, Andre Thomas and Leon Brown looking dangerous at times. But Everdean Scarlett in goal proved equal to the task.

Richardson was forced to leave the field in the 36th minute, injuring his right knee, and was replaced by Oneil Marshall. Despite this setback, SVL came out fighting on the resumption, but sound defending by skipper Bernard Blackwood, George Stephen and Dwayne Thompson weathered the storm.

Supreme Ventures got their consolation goal in the 66th minute when the unmarked Leon Brown beat Scarlett with a well-placed grounder inside the 18-yard box.