Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport
Arnett Gardens' Kevin 'Pele' Wilson reacts to a challenge from behind by Boys' Town's Xavean Virgo in the fourth round of the Cash Plus Premier League football match at Collie Smith Drive yesterday. Arnett won 2-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Before yesterday Arnett Gardens could not make a goal in the 270 minutes they had played in the 2007-08 Cash Plus Premier League. Much to their displeasure, Boys' Town realised those precious finishes only come in flashes and yesterday those moments occurred two times too many as they suffered a 0-2 loss to the Junglists, in an all Trench Town fourth round matchup at the Colour Reds' home ground at the base of Collie Smith Drive.
One Arnett fan never got to celebrate the victory much as he was shot and killed after leaving the grounds at nearby East Street in the Rema area. Up to press time, he was unidentified.
Quick-thinking Kevin 'Pele' Wilson, the villain the previous week when he missed a second-half penalty in a goalless draw just up the road at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex against Waterhouse, quickly had his status transformed to hero-like proportions when he drilled a low free kick into the net, while Boys' Town were busy setting up a wall, to give his team a 10th-minute lead.
"I just put the penalty aside, relaxed, came back and got my game intact," remarked Wilson, a regular premier league goal-getter. "This is the fourth game, it was a relief, we needed to get a goal to get the ball rolling. The good thing is it came with a win and I hope the team keeps the discipline. I hope the goals will follow me from now on in each game."
'Oohs' and 'aahs'
Thereafter, a battle of attrition ensued with each taking as much as it gave in a hard grind where clear scoring chances were few and far apart. Homesters Boys' Town had much possession but could not find their way through a well-organised Arnett team, giving their supporters in the packed ground 'oohs' and 'aahs' releases twice as crosses went menacingly wide of or were met by opponents just ahead of their players at goalmouth, and shots from distance went straight to the goalkeeper.
Besides getting back behind the ball in numbers Arnett, especially in the second half, looked more capable of scoring on the counter, and finally delivered on that threat when Kowri Pickersgill released Leon Strickland, who went unchallenged on the breakaway play to net the insurance goal to take the wind out of Boys' Town's sails, seven minutes from time.
"This will give us a little more tranquillity at training, a little more support from the community," noted winning coach Max Straw. "We get our energy off our results."
While Arnett remained unbeaten and moved to six points with their first win, Boys' Town's initial loss kept them at five.
"I think we played very lethargic today, we were very meek," observed Boys' Town's coach, Andrew Price. "The wall wasn't even set up when the free kick (goal) was taken."
He added: "This is our first loss, we've a game on Wednesday against Reno and we'll just have to regroup."
| Boys' Town | 0 |
| Arnett | 2 |
Kevin Wilson 10th Leon Strickland 83rd
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