Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Portmore United players celebrate their victory over Tivoli in the Wray and Nephew Knockout Cup final at the National Stadium on Monday night. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PORTMORE UNITED captured Wray and Nephew Knockout Cup with a hard-fought 5-4 sudden-death penalty kick win over Tivoli Gardens on Monday night at the National Stadium.
Portmore finally etched their name on a cup this season and it was sweet revenge for Portmore after falling 3-2 to Tivoli Gardens in the All-Island Red Stripe Cup final.
The white-and-blue-clad Portmore United side walked away with the $400,000 winners' prize while Tivoli Gardens pocketed $250,000. The game ended 0-0 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time and it was decided by the dreaded penalty kicks.
Jason Morrison, Adrian Reid, Ricardo Cousins, Shawn Sawyers and Mario Swaby converted for Portmore as only their captain Anthony Modeste missed the first spot kick.
Christopher Nicholas, Fabian Davis, Christopher Jackson and Craig Stewart were on target for Tivoli but the same could not be said of Oraine Simpson and Jermaine Johnson.
In fact, the final penalty for Tivoli Gardens had some amount of confusion as to who should take the kick. There was a mix- up between goalkeeper Edsel Scott and Johnson and, in the end, Johnson's tame shot went wide of goalkeeper Sawyer and the right upright.
But the Cup final never really lived up to expectations, lacking the excitement normally associated with such an event.
Portmore and Tivoli Gardens cancelled out each other in all areas of the field but had they scored their early chances, the game could have been much different.
Portmore's Steven Morissey, Jason Morrison and Demar Stewart all missed chances in the first 20 minutes.
In the 33rd minute, Tivoli's Roland Dean collected a beautiful pass from Johnson and, with only goalkeeper Sawyers to beat, he kicked straight into the 'keeper's waiting arms.
A couple of other half chances went Tivoli's way but they failed to convert as the half ended 0-0.
The second half was basically the same as the first, begging for a goal to liven things up but that failed to materialise and the same pattern went into the extra time.
At the end of extra time, Tivoli's captain, Kasai Hinds, was red-carded by referee Hughill Thompson for what appeared to be indecent language.
Winning coach Paul Young said he thought his team had an excellent game and he wasn't concerned how the win came.
"I thought my team was excellent and I thought we had the better of the chances during the duration of the game and we should have converted," said Young, as his team celebrated in the background with the Wray and Nephew Cup.
"It didn't matter if it was penalty kicks or during the regulation time, we just wanted to win and avenge our Red Stripe Cup loss and this is a good way to end the season and I am really proud of my team today," he said.
