Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Reno's bench players and staff, as well as players from both their team and Boys' Town, lie face down on the field, while gun- shots were being fired close to the grounds during yesterday's Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match at Collie Smith Drive. The match was abondoned. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Gunfire among warring factions outside the playground but within the Boys' Town community, forced a premature end to the Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match between the homesters and Reno, at Collie Smith Drive yesterday.

War has been going on in the area for some time. No one was injured in the sports complex as a result of the gunfire and police report that nobody was hurt in the area at the time.

The incident took place inside the third minute added for stoppages in the first half.

The match was being carried live on television.

No fewer than 10 shots were fired from the northern side of the ground, which forced players, officials and two police officers who were behind the goal at the western end to get flat, lying face down.

Former national technical director, Wendell Downswell, who is the coach at Reno and his assistant, former national goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence, as well as many other players, spent almost 10 minutes on the ground with chairs guarding their head.

"I heard a shot flew past me and hit into the wall (at the western end)," said Lawrence with a scary look on his face.

An ambulance, which was parked at the northern end, left the ground even before the game was officially called off. The medical staff is a medical prerequisite for all NPL matches.

Members of the visiting team were not willing to continue the game and the officials supported them.

Pressure from parents

Downswell said they did not feel safe to continue and he came under pressure from parents.

"Parents who were watching the game on TV started calling me to say 'get their sons out of there' and I don't want to take responsibility if anything happens," he said.

"The game was going nicely, and it's just unfortunate it ended like this," he added.

Referee Kevin Thomas supported Reno's refusal to continue.

"We decided to abort the game because of the safety of the visiting team and we don't feel safe either," said Thomas.

Manager of Boys' Town, Frederick Robinson, described the incident as unfortunate while explaining what really happened.

"It's just an internal war between gang and gang, so Boys' Town itself is under no threat, but whenever these things happen it will affect Boys' Town in some adverse way and this is what happened.

"So hopefully next time we will have some police in the area, patrolling the streets," he said.

Boys' Town spectators were sympathetic towards Reno and chastised the gun-firing persons.

One man said: "Mi caan believe di man dem do dat!"

"A ban dem want mi field get ban," another queried.

Feedback: anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com.