Tivoli, Portmore remain on course for play-offs after draw
AFTER missing out on top six places in 2023, Tivoli Gardens Head Coach Jerome Waite and Portmore United Head Coach Philip Williams have both hailed the significant progress of their teams as they moved a step closer to securing their spot in the play-offs of the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League.
The two teams ended in a goalless draw in a rain-affected encounter at Stadium East on Sunday. Chances were hard to come by but Portmore goalkeeper Tyrone Williams produced two fine saves to ensure the teams shared the points.
Tivoli remain fourth in the standings but move to 38 points after 20 games, doubling the tally of points they attained during the entirety of the 2022/23 season. Though they didn’t find the back of the net on Sunday, Tivoli are the best offensive team this season with 33 goals so far.
In his first season in charge of the west Kingston Club, Waite is delighted with the team’s performances so far.
“It really says a lot,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “This team only garnished 19 points last year and finished in 12th, so what they have done this season is second to none. You can’t ask them for more but at the same time, you need more from them going forward. They have been working assiduously since the start of the season and it has been paying dividends.”
Williams also had high praise for Portmore, who sit third on 40 points and extended their unbeaten run to 13 games.
They also boast the best defensive record, conceding 13 times and are the second best offensive team with 32 goals, one behind Tivoli Gardens.
“I’m very impressed,” Williams said. “We have been stubborn defensively and we are one of the most attacking teams in terms of the number of goals we have scored. This is my second full year, and the team is developing into a decent and formidable unit.”
Portmore missed out on a play-off spot last season, but is now just six points away from clinching a place this season.
Williams wants his team to continue its progression as it looks to challenge for the title.
“We want to finish as high as possible with a couple games to spare so we can juggle in terms of where we want to place,” he said. “So, it’s about accumulating as many points, getting the players who are injured back up and running and keep the unit as fit as possible for the play-offs.”
As Tivoli look to cement its spot in the top six, Waite has called on his attackers to make the spot safe.
“One of the things we still need is creating more chances and executing going forward because that is the whole objective of the game,” he said. “The defensive unit has been playing very well so we don’t have anything to fix in that area but the offence is where we still have to work on and get some more opportunities so we can win games.”