Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
Rivoli United's goalscorer Amondo McLeod dribbles away from Arnett Gardens' Kevin Rose (right) during the Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match at Anthony Spaulding Complex yesterday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WITH JUST two points from their last four games, Arnett Gardens and Rivoli continue to struggle for a win in the second round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League after they played to a 1-1 draw at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.
Omondo McLeod opened the scoring for Rivoli in the 60th minute, while Kwame Richardson accounted for Arnett's equaliser in the 89th.
In a first half that both teams would do well to forget, Arnett looked the team more likely to score with persistent attacks down the right flank.
However, an unwillingness to shoot towards goal thwarted any chance of getting unto the scoresheet.
After 30 minutes Rivoli finally began getting into the game, as Arnett tried their endeavour best to get out of it.
TEAM BROKE DOWN
"We allowed Rivoli to start playing and compete with us and the team broke down from then," explained coach Michael Tulloch, regarding Arnett's failure to maintain a grip on the game.
In the second half the quality of the football increased a little as Cornell Chin-Sue came on for Arnett, and Sean Coleman came on for Rivoli.
In fact, Coleman was the player that sparked Rivoli to life.
GOAL DUE TO GOOD PLAY
Picking up a clearance with his first touch of the evening, he drove at the Arnett back line and while his attempted pass to Devon Hodges was partially blocked, the resulting goal was in part due to his industry.
Hodges did some good work too. Darting inside and out on the right side of the penalty area, he got by his marker and pulled back a good ball for McLeod, who had the easy task of tapping past Julian McLeish in the Arnett goal.
Arnett, had the better of play after that as Rivoli were content to put numbers behind the ball and clear their lines whenever their opponents' attacks broke down.
That ploy proved costly. Arnett's Antholowe Dawkins played a good change ball from the left flank for Gerald Neil on the right. Neil's header into the box was blocked by Rivoli's Dwayne Ford's hand, which gave Richardson a welcome penalty.
After the game, Rivoli's players were irate at the decision of referee Dave Peterkin to award a penalty and their assistant coach Anthony Thompson made no bones about voicing his displeasure.
"Rivoli didn't give away the goal today. I've been saying that Rivoli have been playing good football but sometimes some of the calls have to go our way and not the way of the big teams," he exclaimed angrily.
GOALSHEET
Arnett 1
Kwame Richardson 89th (penalty).
Rivoli 1
Omondo McLeod 60th.
