Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
St. George's goalkeeper Randall Huie rises high to catch a ball ahead of his centre-half Omar Davis during a Wray and Nephew National Premier League play-off game against Negril F.C. at Lynch Park yesterday. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Looking on is Negril's Dwight Gordon. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
NEGRIL FOOTBALL Club continue to lead the Wray and Nephew
National Premier League play-offs after coming from behind to eke out a 1-1
draw with St. George's at Lynch Park in Portland yesterday.
Negril won their home game against August Town last week before going to Lynch Park to secure a draw.
Howard Phillips was the hero for Negril yesterday, after he buried a 90th minute header to tie the match and push Negril to four points, one more than August Town who notched their first win yesterday over Naggo Head. St. George's are third with two points, while Naggo Head bring up the rear with one.
The visiting Negril unit were made to chase the game for the majority of what was a very physical contest, after Damion Harwood was gifted a goal in the 31st minute.
"As you all know, travelling from Negril to Portland isn't easy and the fatigue of the team took its toll," said Jerome Waite, Negril's coach.
"We soaked up a lot of pressure and we made one defensive error that cost us," the former Arnett Gardens coach added.
PHYSICAL NATURE
The physical nature of the game did take it's toll, but Negril were the ones who benefitted in the long run, as one of the many free-kicks they earned resulted in a well-taken goal.
After, Norman Woolery, who was by far the busiest player on the park was brought down on the right side of the 18-yard box, he brushed himself off before delivering a brilliant cross to the back post that found Phillips rising over his marker to bury an unstoppable header.
Just before that, both teams were reduced to 10 men after a bad tackle from St. George's Jermaine McCoy was answered with a vicious elbow from Kevon Grant and both men were sent to the showers.
St. George's coach, Donovan Duckie, looked a little perturbed by his team's failure to pull out a win so far, even after leading in both games.
"We came for three points because it is about winning at home," he said.
"This is becoming a trend, we've been getting goals but we've also been lapsing in defence and we need to correct that. If you remember, at this time about three years ago Star Cosmos hadn't won a game either but you saw how that turned out so we just need to work hard and try again," said Duckie, the former coach of the relegated premier league outfit from St. Mary.
