By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
FORMER PREMIER League champions Seba United extended their lead in the National A-League after beating Rockfort 2-1 at Jarrett Park yesterday for their third straight win.
Despite conceding their first goal of the season, late in the second half, Seba increased their points tally to nine, three more than the next team. Norman Foster and Denton Vidal were the scorers for Seba United in the first half in a game that started 45 minutes late due to the late arrival of the Eastern Kingston team.
Seba's Montego Bay neighbours Mt Salem clinched at least a share of second place after a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Brazil in the first game of the doubleheader.
Israel are also on six points after edging Maverley/Hughenden 2-1 for their first win in the A-League.
Meanwhile, Black Stars earned their first point of the season after holding favourites Rivoli to a 1-1 draw at Drax Hall.
In the first game of the double header Mt. Salem United came all the way back from being 2-0 down to beat Brazil for their second win.
Donovan Thomas and Donovan McCoy had given the St. Ann team a 2-0 lead after just 27 minutes against a Mt. Salem team that took nearly the entire first half to settle.
Brazil used the width of the field to their advantage as Mt. Salem looked out of sorts trying to attack down a crowded middle of the field.
Thomas was allowed some space in the middle of the Mt. Salem area in the 13th minute and gave goalkeeper Warren Barrett no chance, controlling nicely and firing into the goal.
Brazil doubled the score in the 27th minute when Barrett was beaten at his near post by a well-placed header taken by McCoy from a corner.
Mt. Salem pulled one back deep into time added on when George Hemmings scored from the penalty spot after a Brazil defender inadvertently handled the ball in his own area.
The home team leveled the scores four minutes into the second half when Loxley Hylton who had replaced Christopher Dias at the half, blasted a free kick through the Brazil wall and through the hands of the diving goalkeeper Ruel Wilson.
Jason Rose clinched the winner eight minutes from time when he just got to a high ball ahead of Wilson and headed it into the goal before a defender could get to it.
The game which had threatened to get out of hand from the first half, came to a head late in the game with players from both teams just stopping short of brawling on the field.
RESULTS
Seba United 2 Rockfort 1
Black Stars 1 Rivoli United 1
Israel 2 Maverley/Hughenden 1
Mt. Salem United 3 Brazil 2
