By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
ARNETT GARDENS continued to inch their way to safety and closer to the top teams in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL) yesterday after beating Reno 2-0 on their third round Zone A game in Frome.
Jonathan Williams in the 19th minute and Kwame Richards two minutes from time scored from defensive errors to send Arnett to 35 points and seventh place.
Arnett Gardens' coach, Jerome Waite, was happy with the result, telling The Gleaner.
"Today it was a good performance, this is the first away game we have won in a long time and we have to commend the players as today they put out a good effort."
Waite, who was able to start an almost full strength team, said:
"Having all our players helps a lot as these are the players who understand the system better than he new players so with us having them in the system is a big plus."
Reno's Technical Director, Wendell Downswell, summed up his team's performance when he said: "We were flat for most of the game and Arnett was the better team on the day and was far more purposeful and I think that made the difference in the game."
CRUCIAL MISTAKES
Reno was competitive for most of the game but two crucial mistakes sentenced them to their 13th loss of the season.
Williams was allowed a free header from just around the penalty spot and he guided it just past the fingers of the diving Aaron Lawrence, who could not have seen the ball until the last minute.
Lawrence, the national second string had only himself to blame for the second goal as he dropped a ball that was crossed inside the area by Kevin Wilson, after he had dismissed a defender on the touch line. Richards was left unmarked and had time to crash the ball into an unprotected goal.
Reno had a number of chances of their own, especially in the second half when they dominated the game for long periods.
Schoolboy Adrian Robinson's glancing header went just wide of the target in the 65th minute, while a thunderous free kick from Kirk Wright late in the game was blocked by goalkeeper Julian McLeish and cleared out of danger.
Just minutes earlier, Arnett's second half substitute Garth Boota's ferocious shot glanced off the crossbar after beating Lawrence, while a rasping drive from Wilson went just inches wide of the goal post.
