Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
TIVOLI GARDENS and Hazard United will contest the final of the Jamaica Football Federation's Under-21 competition.
Tivoli Gardens earned their place in the final with a 2-1 win (6-2 on aggregate) over Seba United at the Railway Oval yesterday while Hazard United lost 2-1 to Arnett Gardens but advanced 4-3 on aggregate. Substitute Richard Martin and Rafiek Thomas scored for Tivoli Gardens while Stephen Forrest struck for Seba.
In the other game, Craig Gordon and Anthony Burke fired Arnett Gardens into a 2-0 lead which had the match on the verge of entering extra time before Mario Swaby calmed the nerves of the Hazard coaching staff.
At the Railway Oval, Tivoli Gardens gave a display of how not to approach a match as any concept of team play went out the door. Captain Sheldon Palmer and Shawn Thompson buried their heads in the ground and dribbled to their own satisfaction.
Seba, on the other hand, were more content to play within a team structure with wily midfielder Dane Richards pulling the strings. They created the better chances but failed to capitalise.
On one such occasion Damion Williams dribbled down the left flank and crossed low for Jeremy Bucknor. The ball fell nicely for Bucknor but he did not take his first opportunity to shoot from six yards. He chose to beat one challenger and then struck the left upright with the left foot from about four yards.
Six minutes later, Forrest collected a ball passed back to him from a corner rebound and let fly a torrid leftfooter which deflected off Orane Simpson past Jermaine Simpson in goal.
Tivoli looked slightly better in the second half and equalised through substitute Martin who bundled home a corner in the 60th minute. Thomas capitalised on the industry of strike partner Valentine Gardner to put his team ahead in the 77th minute as he fired into an empty net.
