Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterMAVERLEY/HUGHENDEN yesterday ended August Town's unbeaten run in the Jamaica National/ KSAFA Super League, beating them 1-0 at Maverley's football field.
The goal which separated the teams came in the 12th minute from the boot of Andre McLean, but it was goalkeeper Rayon Spencer who came up tops for the home team in a game August Town dominated.
"I am not 100 per cent happy with the win but it is three points. This is the first time August Town are losing and it feels good to know we are the team that beat them," said Dennis Duncan, Maverley's coach.
Defeat for August Town means that they slip from atop the table into fifth place while Maverley (12 points) assumes joint leadership alongside Santos, JDF, Medhaven and Police National (14 points apiece) - with only goal difference separating the quartet.
Yesterday, Spencer, who is Maverley's second-choice custodian, came up with some brilliant saves, good enough to keep a prowling August Town at bay.
However, he almost undid his fine work seconds from the end and nearly paid the ultimate price for his ignorance.
INDIRECT KICK
After coming up with a regulation save late in stoppage time, he stayed low with the ball after being instructed to do so by Duncan. The goalie then got to his feet, released the ball and then grabbed it up, leaving referee Lloyd Harrison with no option but to give August Town an indirect kick inside the area.
Luckily for Spencer and the Maverley team, the 11-man wall erected on the goal line did its job.
Earlier, August Town responded to the one-goal deficit with venom. They tried everything possible, taking shots from both inside and outside the box but to no avail.
In fact, they hit the bar twice in the first half and playmaker Daniel Shaw came close with a couple of freekicks.
In the second half, Spencer saved a 69th minute penalty to preserve his team's lead after Shawn Thomas' poorly taken effort.
"It's the cruelty of sports. You do what you have to do to win, but sometimes you just don't (win). We will come again. Losing is strange to the team, but we can only hope that this will have a positive spin-off," said Christopher Bender, August Town's coach.
Meanwhile in other games, Bull Bay beat Barbican 3-0, Santos clipped Mountain View 1-0, JDF got by Shortwood 2-0, Police National beat Meadhaven 1-0 while Rae Town and Greenwich Town drew 1-1.
In the Major League, Pembroke Hall beat Molynes 2-1, Real Mona downed Whitfield Town 1-0, while Cavalier and Elliston Flats played to 1-1 draws against Mountain View and Cooreville respectively.
