Cavalier pick up crucial points in 2-0 win
Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid said Monday night’s 2-0 win over Harbour View was important in creating a gap between them and their seventhplaced opponent, Harbour View, before they jet off to the Caribbean Club Championships in just over a week’s time.
Two assists from Kingston College schoolboy, Christopher Pearson, led to first-half goals from Nickache Murray and Colin Anderson, which gave Speid’s team three valuable points at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday.
However, Speid, who has one eye on the Caribbean Championships, which takes place in the Dominican Republic May 13-25, does not want to lose ground while the team is away for two weeks and has targeted six points from his games against Harbour View and Vere this weekend.
Sunday’s result puts fifth-place Cavalier on 23 points, three clear of Harbour View in seventh and two more than sixth-place Tivoli.
“It was a very important win. We are going away for the Caribbean Club Championships after the next round of games and we are going to miss the next two games.
“So it was very important that we put some space between us and the seventh-placed team. We didn’t want to come back and be out of the top six. So it was very important for us to win today (Monday),” he said.
He added also that the next game will be just as important in ensuring their topsix position remains intact until their return.
“The next game will be just as important. We have to give a good performance again so we can get a little lead before we leave.”
Cavalier took an early lead on Monday when Murray headed home Pearson’s corner after six minutes.
Both teams then had their chances but it was Cavalier who got the breakthrough three minutes from the interval when Pearson’s defence-splitting pass found Anderson who tucked the ball past Amal Knight for Cavalier’s second.
After the break, Anderson had a great chance to get his second of the game but poor control let him down with only Knight to beat.
Colorado Murray had Harbour View’s best openings but his tame effort was easily saved when he was left unmarked in the box.
Then later on he dragged an effort wide after creating good space for himself.
Cavalier were reduced to ten players when Ronaldo Webster was red-carded for dangerous play in time added on.
Harbour View’s coach Ludlow Bernard said although it was not their best display, he thought they deserved more from the game.
“It is really heart-rending to come here and lose this game because I don’t think the other team did anything to win the game and I thought the best result would have been a draw,” Bernard said.