Coaches slam surface at Ashenheim Stadium
Tivoli’s Waite: Both teams put out the effort but the playing surface is not suitable for good football
JEROME WAITE, the coach of Tivoli Gardens, and Dunbeholden’s coach, Lenworth Hyde, slammed the poor condition of the playing surface at Ashenheim Stadium, Jamaica College, after their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at the venue ended in a 1-1 draw yesterday.
Zackiya Wilks’ eighth-minute own goal put Tivoli in front, but Ricardo Thomas scored a penalty in the 41st minute to earn Dunbeholden a share of the points.
However, after the game, the playing surface was the main talking point for the two coaches.
“Both teams put out the effort, but the playing surface is not suitable for good football. At this level we shouldn’t be playing on this type of uneven surface because it prevented both teams from playing well,” Waite commented. “The ball that was played back to goalkeeper Damion Hyatt bounced over his foot because of the poor surface. It was unfortunate, but the playing surface was really atrocious.”
Hyde also thought Hyatt’s blunder was a result of the bumpy surface on which the game was played.
“The pitch was atrocious. The first goal that was scored came as a result of a bad bounce, which went past the goalkeeper. We adjusted because of the surface and went direct most of the game, and Tivoli were doing the same thing. But it was a scrappy game today,” Hyde said.
POOR FIELD
Tivoli started the better of the teams, and they were rewarded after eight minutes following a bit of bad luck on the poor field. Hyatt attempted to clear a back pass and the ball went over his foot and into the back of the net.
Despite being behind, Dunbeholden took control of the game after and created problems for Tivoli from set-pieces and crosses from the right.
Tivoli had their moments, but most of it was down to Dundeholden making errors at the back, with Anthony Nelson getting two good half-chances.
Dunbeholden were back on even terms moments before the break when Nickalia Fuller brought down Sadeekie Burton in the box, and Thomas calmly slotted home the penalty to level the scores.
As the half drew to a close, Hyatt made amends for his earlier mishap with a brilliant save to deny Alton Lewis’header from six yards before Barrington Pryce and then Shaquille Jones missed with good openings inside the area.
After the break, Dunbeholden continued to dominate possession, but Tivoli were always dangerous on the break, and both teams had a couple good openings.
“We had more opportunities (to score), but poor decision making and faulty execution in the final third let us down,” Waite said. However, Hyde was satisfied with the point. “If we were thinking a little quicker in the final third we could have scored another goal, but in these games when you get a draw, you have to take it,” he said.
Tivoli remain in third on 42 points, the same as Portmore while Dunbeholden remain in sixth with 43 points, three ahead of Waterhouse, who drew 0-0 with Portmore.
Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant (49) stretched their lead at the top to four points after a 2-0 win over second-place Cavalier.