Adrian Frater, News Editor
Altobar's Colin Campbell (right) fights off a challenge from a Mount Pelier defender during the Captain's Bakery Western Confed Super League game between the teams at Mount Pelier on Tuesday. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. - PHOTO BY ADRIAN FRATER
WESTERN BUREAU:
MOUNT PELIER took over sole leadership in Zone B of the 2005-06 Captain's Bakery Western Super Football League on Tuesday afternoon when they battled to an exciting 1-1 draw against Altobar on their home turf in Mount Pelier.
Altobar, which survived an early onslaught, took a first half lead through Jeremy Bucknor and looked all set to win the game.
However, an 87th minute penalty by Lenore Campbell earned Mount Pelier a share of the points.
By virtue of the teams sharing the points, Mount Pelier, which went into the game locked atop the group standings on 10 points with mid-season champions Negril, have now taken over sole leadership of the group with 11 points. Altobar remain one place from the bottom in the five-team group with five points.
In a first half in which they had much the better of the action, Mt. Pelier came close to scoring in the 23rd and 27th minutes when Lendron Smith struck the crossbar with a superb volley and then Campbell broke clean on the Altobar goal but side-footed his shot straight to the goalkeeper.
MEANINGFUL ATTACK
On their first meaningful attack in the 37th minute, Altobar took the lead. Following a series of defensive errors by the Mount Pelier backline, the ball fell at the feet of Bucknor and he cracked a powerful shot past the goalkeeper, making the half-time score 1-0.
In the second half , Mr. Pelier went into overdrive and had Altobar's defence on the run with relentless attacks. However, a combination of faulty finishing and sound defending kept them off the scoresheet.
They should have pulled level in the 50th minute when Dwayne Ambersley broke free but was denied by the diving goalkeeper Raymond Reid, who went full stretch to turn the ball wide.
With Mount Pelier all out in attack, they missed another glorious chance in the 84th minute when Smith's volley rocked the goalkeeper, who recovered sufficiently to gather the ball safely on the second attempt.
With time ticking away and defeat staring them in the face, Mount Pelier were awarded a penalty when the referee spotted an infringement inside the goal area and pointed to the spot. Campbell made no mistake as he scored a much-deserved equaliser.
