Tivoli on the double

Tivoli Gardens Football Club captain and goalkeeper, Edsel Scott (centre), lifts the Flow Champions Cup after being handed the trophy by Jamaica Football Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell (left, front), while club president Edward Seaga (second right, front) and Nasha Douglas (right), marketing manager, Flow, look on, during the presentation to the Tivoli Gardens team, following their finals win at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

Premier League champions Tivoli Gardens won their second title of the season when they thrashed St Georges Sports Club 3-0 to capture the Flow Champion Cup knockout trophy, at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.

Tivoli, who regained the Premier League trophy last weekend, were led to their victory courtesy of goals from national representatives Keammar Daley (43rd), Navion Boyd (90th) and substitute Jameel Thompson (89th).

The Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey-coached Tivoli, who led the team to their third hold on the trophy, credit his team for an exceptional performance in the second half of the game.

"The first half we were playing very flat because we were playing as if we weren't in a final," said Bailey. "However, in the second half, we moved the ball around very nicely and we scored two very good goals," he said.

Bailey, who had made a return to the west Kingston-based side at the start of the season, added that he was delighted to have copped the double this year.

"I am very happy to know that we have won the double this season because I think that we played well throughout, even when our backs were against the wall," Bailey said.

Tivoli swarmed all over St Georges from the opening whistle, but they were denied early on, as their goalkeeper Randal Huie pulled off two spectacular saves to thwart strikers ,Boyd and Roland Dean.

team dominance rewarded

However, Tivoli were awarded a free kick when the fleet-footed Boyd was brought down deep in the St Georges half, this after eluding two defenders.

Daley then stepped up to rifle home a powerful right-footed shot two minutes before half-time, which went like a rocket past Huie and into the back of the net.

Tivoli stepped up the pace in the second half and created a number of clear-cut chances, but they were unable to capitalise.

However, they were finally rewarded for their dominance when Thompson collected a through pass from Daley out of the midfield on his chest, and eluded two defenders before firing a powerful shot from just outside the 18-yard box past Huie.

Boyd killed off the game for Tivoli when he netted his third goal one minute later from point-blank range.

"We played well up to the first goal. However, with five minutes to go and down one nil, we had to go for the equalising goal and that left holes in our defence and they exploited it," said Raymond Gordon, coach of St Georges.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110509/sports/sports3.html