LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
Meadhaven United's Tafari Fairley (right) is tackled by Arnett Gardens defender Gerald Neil during the Digicel Premier League football match at Constant Spring field yesterday. Arnett won 1-0. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Arnett Gardens interim coach/player Fabian Davis said getting the team to believe in itself as a unit has seen a positive shift in results for the Digicel Premier League.
The 2001 and 2002 champions clipped Meadhaven United 1-0 at Constant Spring Oval yesterday for their third win from their last four games, after starting the season with four straight losses.
Winning goal
Kwame Richardson got the winner in the 75th minute.
Since replacing Jerome Waite on October 12, Davis said he has been emphasising the intangibles.
"We've been getting the team to understand that there's no 'I' in TEAM. Players need to be disciplined and respectful; love what they do, love their teammates and those are the basic things that I try to let them understand," said Davis, who played the last 10 minutes of the game.
Go to the next level
"When you're among the players each day, you get to understand each individual; you get to feel their pain and I just let them be free and they can come and talk to me about whatever and I try to help in whatever way I can to have this team step up to the next level."
Arnett are now on 10 points, in seventh place, and Davis added: "The more we understand that we are a team, the stronger we will get."
Their play on the pitch yesterday didn't always reflect Davis' ideal. In fact, Meadhaven were better in organising their attack. However, as it has been since their opening game on September 21, the first-year team continues to fail in converting its chances.
In the second minute, Keammar Daley's free kick skimmed the crossbar and five minutes later, after hustling his way into the penalty box, delivered a tepid shot which belied the efforts of the build-up.
Norman Bailey attacked without much gusto and striker Tafari Fairley had a tough day against Arnett's defenders.
Daley also had a penalty saved by Julian McLeish in the 53rd minute.
With Meadhaven unsettled, Cornel Chin-Sue took a quick free kick from the right side which Richardson directed into the back of the net from a glancing header.
Meadhaven assistant coach, Lijyasu Simms, was as simple as could be in his post-game assessment.
"We are getting chances and if you don't score and another team scores, you are going to lose and that is what is basically happening since we've been in the Premier League," Simms said.
Head coach Alrick Clarke did not attend yesterday's game and it is possible that the tension between Clarke and the club's executive, of which he is a member, may be affecting the players.
"We are just going through some crisis and we are taking our time," Simms added.
"It's a whole heap of problems but we're sorting it out little by little and we're getting to where we want to go. We will rebound."
Meadhaven remain rooted at the bottom of the table with two points from eight games.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | P |
| Boys' Town | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 15 |
| H View | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 14 |
| Portmore | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 13 |
| Tivoli | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 12 |
| Waterhouse | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| Village | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 11 |
| St Georges | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Arnett | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| Reno | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Sporting | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Rivoli | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| Meadhaven | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
Digicel Premier League summary after yesterday's matches
Sporting Central Academy 2 Boys' Town 3 at Brancourt
GOALS: Sporting Central Academy - Donovan Peart 36th and Damarley Samuels 51st; Boys' Town - Renae Lloyd 8th, Michael Campbell 80th, Wayne Ellis 90th.
Waterhouse 3 Portmore United 3 at Drewsland Mini Stadium
GOALS: Waterhouse - Vincent Earle 22nd, Jermaine Anderson 41st, Kevin Lamey 85th; Portmore - Anthony Modeste 18th pen, 45th pen, Tremaine Stewart 32nd.
Rivoli United 1 St Georges Sports Club 0 at Spanish Town Prison Oval
GOAL: Rivoli United - Devon Hodges 87th
Meadhaven 0 Arnett Gardens 1 at Constant Spring
GOAL: Arnett - Kwame Richardson 75th
Reno 2 Village United 1 at Frome Sports Club
GOALS: Reno - Evan Taylor 19th, Gary McIntosh 21st; Village United - Omar Allen 24th
LATE GAME: Harbour View vs Tivoli Gardens at Harbour View Mini Stadium.
