Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Tivoli Gardens Roland Dean (left) attempts to power past Boys' Town's Xavien Virgo (right), while Boys' Town's Fitzroy Anglin looks on during their Wray and Nephew National Premier League match at Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday. Tivoli won 2-1. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
GOALS BY Roland Dean and Orane Simpson gave Tivoli Gardens a hard fought and exciting 2-1 win over Boys' Town in their Wray and Nephew National Premier League encounter at the Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday.
Boys' Town, making a return to the top flight for the first time in 10 years, lost the game but won the hearts of the spectators with a gallant, if not spectacular effort after ending the game with nine men.
Referee, Peter Prendergast, gave Wavel Williams his marching orders in the 37th minute for handling Orane Simpson's goal-bound shot with goalkeeper Kirk Porter well out of his goal.
Then in the 71st minute, substitute Ricardo Munroe, picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Denroy Gordon and was also sent to the showers early.
HARD WORK
Winning coach, Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, who returned to the island on Saturday, said his team has a lot of work to do.
"There is a lot of work to be done. We have a couple of new players and that caused the breakdown. Players don't understand players and fit into the system yet, that is why we played such a lacklustre second half," Bailey explained.
Meanwhile losing coach, Andrew Price, thought his team was brave in defeat and showed tremendous battling qualities against last year's losing finalists and said it was a good return to the premier league.
"The team showed a lot of character today. We lost two men and played the majority of the second half with nine people and played a lot better than we did in the first half when we had our full compliment.
"It's a good platform on which to build for the remainder of the season. I am going away from here with a good feeling," said Price.
In front of the biggest crowd seen at the Edward Seaga Stadium since Harbour View visited for the final of the Caribbean Club title, the home team got a dream start.
NEVER CRUMBLED
In the 6th minute national striker Dean latched onto an Orane Simpson pass and 'toe--punched' the ball past the onrushing Kirk Porter in goal.
But the talented 'Red Brigade' soon found their premier league footing and through the efforts of Michael Campbell, Jermaine Bailey, captain Fitzroy Anglin, Garfield Rennicks and Andrew Wheeler, pushed the 2004 champions on the back foot.
However, in the 37th minute, Nicholas McCreath, rounded Porter at the edge of the box and passed to Simpson, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by the hands of Williams, resulting in a penalty.
Simpson calmly placed his shot wide of Porter to make it 2-0 as Boys' Town were reduced to 10 men.
The Red Brigade never crumbled though and a penetrating dribble by Wheeler earned his team a penalty, when he was bundled over by last man Kasai Hinds.
Anglin scored his team's first goal back in the top flight easily, converting from the penalty spot.
Despite being down to nine men with 29 minutes to go, Boys' Town looked the more purposeful team but failed to find the equaliser after dominating the final period.
GOALSHEET
TIVOLI GARDENS 2
Roland Dean (6th)
Orane Simpson (37th);
BOYS' TOWN 1
Fitzroy Anglin (61st)
