Ryon Jones | Jamaica Gleaner
Tivoli Gardens club president, Edward Seaga, called it dereliction of duty, while assistant coach, Alvin Shaw is hoping his counterpart is OK after head coach Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey failed to show for his team’s 16th-round Red Stripe Premier League football match against Harbour View at the Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday.
Tivoli Gardens went on to lose the match 2-0, their fourth consecutive defeat as they slipped further down the standings to 10th on 18 points.
Harbour View, which have now gone 13 games unbeaten, got their goals courtesy of McKauley Tulloch (22nd) and an own goal by Tivoli’s Kemar Flemmings (45+1). The Stars of The East lead the 12-team standings with 36 points.
“I haven’t heard anything from him (Bailey). I don’t know if I am going to see him tonight,” Seaga said. “Dereliction of duty, but I will deal with it, though.”
Shaw, who had advised The Gleaner that Bailey might be running late when quizzed about his absence close to kick-off, confessed after the final whistle that he was in the dark as to why the coach was not present.
“I can’t comment on that one, I haven’t heard anything as yet,” Shaw said. “Let’s just hope he is OK first and foremost.”
The Gleaner‘s own efforts to reach Bailey were unsuccessful as his phone rang without answer.
FIERCE BATTLE
The battle on the pitch was fierce as both teams did not hesitate in getting in tackles. Harbour View’s superiority would, however, rise to the surface, and they deservedly took the lead when Tulloch capitalised on a defensive mix-up to fire into the unguarded net.
Tulloch thought he had netted his fourth goal of the season three minutes later, but he was ruled offside.
Tivoli came closest to scoring in the first half when Dwayne Smith’s 40th-minute shot from the centre of the area trickled wide of the right post.
Tivoli’s problems were compounded on the stroke of halftime when Flemmings attempted to chest down a right-sided cross by Xavian Virgo to his custodian, Edsel Scott, only for the ball to elude him and nestle in the back of the net.
“This (Tivoli) is always a physical team and to win here you have to survive the physical bouts and battles on the field, and I think we did that today,” Harbour View’s coach, Harold Thomas, said.
The second half saw Tivoli increase their intensity and take control of the midfield, but they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
“We tried a new system in the first half and it didn’t work out, so we went back to our old ways and had a better second half,” Shaw revealed.
Yesterday’s results
Tivoli Gardens 0 – Harbour View 2
McKauley Tulloch (22nd)
Kemar Flemmings (45+1 own goal)
Montego Bay United 0
Kemiro James (90+4 red card)
Boys’ Town 0
Waterhouse 2
Gary McIntosh 16th
Hughan Gray 90+2
Humble Lion 0
Kirk Duckworth (65th red card)
Rivoli United 2
Cory Burke 3rd
Devon Hodges 19th
August Town 1
Lennox Creary 54th
Cavalier 2
Paul Garricks 8th
Romario Constant 10th
Sporting Central 0
Arnett Gardens 1
Own goal (71st)
Portmore 0