Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Portmore United's Onandi Lowe celebrates after scoring his second goal against Village United in Red Stripe Champions Cup action yesterday at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex. Portmore won the game 4-0 and advanced to the next round 5-0. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WRAY AND Nephew National Premier League teams Portmore United, Tivoli and Reno justified their status in top-flight football as they advanced to the third round of the Red Stripe Champions Cup in different ways yesterday.
A brace by in-form striker Onandi Lowe saw defending champions Portmore United have the easier route as they routed Village United 4-0 at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex. Lowe, who also scored for Portmore in their 1-0 first-leg defeat of Village, got on the board early thanks to an industrious one-two play between himself and Anthony Bennett which saw the striker break through one on one with Village custodian Elvis Hart and hold his nerve to effortlessly lob the stranded 'keeper.
LOWE'S GOALS
Lowe, who has now scored four goals in three games for Portmore, found himself in a similar position 16 minutes later, however this time he dragged the ball past the hapless Hart before slotting home to give his team a two-goal cushion. Bennett put the team further ahead in the 36th minute when he profitted from a deflected save by Hart to roll the ball into an empty net. Mario Swaby capped things off for Portmore in the 60th minute in what proved to be an otherwise lacklustre second-half performance.
"We were already 5-0 up in the second half, so the attitude of the players changed a little bit. The game was already won so it was really hard to stay motivated," said Portmore coach Paul Young of the less intense second half by his team.
"It was a well-played game by our players. We followed our game plan. I am very proud of them and we really deserved this victory," he said.
An obviously disappointed Village coach, Cassman Williams, said he did not believe his team came out to play.
"For the first half we just watched Portmore play. We stepped it up and played a better second half but by then they had already taken the game away from us," he said.
KEY PLAYERS
"We played without a couple of key players today but hopefully we will have them for Sunday and get our act together."
Meanwhile, at the Lacovia Community Complex, first-half goals by Delroy Gordon and Christopher Jackson gave Tivoli a 2-0 victory over Tafari Lions to see them advance comfortably 5-2 on aggregate.
However, Reno were forced to battle with St. George's as, following a 0-0 first leg, they had to come from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw to advance on the away goal rule. A 1-1 draw for Maverely/Hughenden against Star Cosmos saw them advance 4-3 on aggregate.
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Portmore 4
Onandi Lowe 7th, 23rd
Anthony Bennett 36th
Mario Swaby 60th
Village 0
Star Cosmos 1
Kirk Edwards 15th
Maverley/Hughenden 1
Tito Jackson 2nd
St. George's 2
Harold Franklin 3rd
Michael Speid 24th
Reno 2
Josimar Crooks 21st
Richard Scott 88th
Tivoli 2
Delroy Gordon 42nd
Christopher Jackson 44th
Tafari Lions 0
