Rivoli United's Valentine Gardner (right) celebrates scoring with teammate Devon Hodges, during the Digicel Premier League match at Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday. Hodges also scored for Rivoli in the match that ended 2-2. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Village United Football Club came from behind to draw their Digicel Premier League match 2-2 with Rivoli United, who led 2-0 at half-time.
The match, played at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, saw Rivoli dominating the first half in both possession and scoring. They kept on pressuring the team from Falmouth, Trelawny, through the likes of leading goal scorer Devon Hodges, Valentine Gardener, Luke Soares, Omar Parker and Ricardo Knight.
The combination of Gardener and Hodges proved effective and after Hodges was fouled in the 39th minute by Cordel Simpson of Village United, who pulled him down in the box, the referee awarded a penalty that Hodges converted to hand the homesters a 1-0 lead.
The combination of Hodges and Gardener pushed Village further back when Hodges turned provider and Gardener scored a minute later, making it 2-0 at half-time.
On the resumption, it was Village's half, with the likes of Kenardo Wilson, Troy Smith, Orlando McBaye, Rohan Henry and Eddie Kingston running rings around what had become a disorganised Rivoli aggregation.
Rivoli defence froze
In the 63rd minute, Troy Smith took a corner to which a seemingly frozen Rivoli defence watched as the ball curled into the goal, making it 2-1.
Village continued to pressure their opponents and when their senior player, Fabian Dawkins, beat three Rivoli players in midfield and laid off a pass to free up Kingston, it was all over as the striker blasted a right-footed shot past Selvin Collins in the Rivoli goal.
Both teams tried to grab the advantage in the remaining minutes. However, faulty finishes and sound defence prevented the score from changing.
Paul 'Tegat' Davis, the coach of Village, said he was pleased with the result.
"It was good that we came from behind and scored two goals, but this is how the team can play and they need to do more scoring when it matters. I think Kingston and Dawkins did well."
Bradley Stewart, head coach at Rivoli, said: "Lack of composure, bad passes and uncommitted players caused us two points. While we salvaged a point, it is not good leading 2-0 and having the match ending 2-2."
He added: "If the players do not change, then we will have to be looking at some new players."
Meanwhile, during the half-time break, former national representative, daCosta and Manning Cup-winning coach, Frank Brown, was given a special award by the St Catherine Football Association and the St Catherine Coaches Group. He expressed gratitude on behalf of those who made the special effort to recognise his contribution to the sport.