Mackeson Brittons Hill made no ground on unbeaten leaders Weymouth Wales as both played to separate 1-1 draws in Digicel Premier League football at the National Stadium on Sunday night.
But former champions Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame continued their climb up the points table with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over their St Michael South neighbours, KDJ Auto Parts/Gatorade Dayrells Road.
A delightful double strike by Zico Edmee pushed the Dames, who have two games in hand, into third place on 13 points, ten behind Wales (23), who drew with Direct TV Paradise in the opening game, and just three adrift of Brittons Hill (16).
Brittons Hill came from behind to share the spoils with Meridian Castrol Youth Milan in the feature match after a fourth-minute goal by Dwayne “Boot” Griffith was cancelled out by Henderson Richards’ 69th-minute strike.
Wales squandered a goal by midfielder Jabar Greene on the stroke of half-time when his free-kick took a deflection and completely deceived goalkeeper Jason Boxhill. Greene had been unlucky earlier when his left-foot volley hit the post.
Wales’ striker Dwayne Stanford had a number of near misses, none easier than the rebound that he unbelievably struck over the crossbars from about two metres.
Paradise got the equalizer in the 56th minute when Kent Hall took a free kick and Wales’ custodian Bentley Springer unfortunately slipped as he came off his line, barely touching the ball, which defender Barry Skeete nudged home at the far post.
In the second game, Dames went ahead when Edmee controlled a pinpoint cross from veteran midfielder John Hawkesworth inside the penalty area on his chest and clinically hit a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Andre Small, who had denied him earlier.
Edmee got his second in the 64th minute after a swift counter-attack saw Carl Joseph, delivering a perfect ball for him to place a right-foot shot to the left of goalkeeper Small.
Dayrells Road missed two clear chances to equalize as substitute Kerry Lovell muffed what should’ve been an easy tap-in at the far post, scooping a Curtis Odle cross over the bars.
Goalkeeper Kareem Farrell, who had a superb diving save to deny Tristan Parris, also saved a header by Corey Taitt from another cross by Odle, who himself volleyed over the bars.
Odle earned a penalty in the 90th minute for his team when he was fouled by Mitchum President. Tristan Parris took the spot kick and as the ball ricocheted off the right post, he was first to the rebound and placed a left foot shot into the far corner. Even though, Parris appeared to play the ball twice before it was touched by another player, the goal wasn’t disallowed by the referee.
In the feature match, Youth Milan surprised Brittons Hill, who left 40-year-old veteran Gregory “Lalu” Goodridge on the bench and used Omar Archer as sweeper, when Griffith firmly slotted past goalkeeper Kerry Holder after right winger Ramon Greaves played a delightful ball across the goalmouth.
Brittons Hill wasted a number of opportunities to equalize before half-time as well as in the second half and were also unlucky as Shane Hinds came up with an important clearance off the line when Richards headed over goalkeeper Adrian Chase.
But Richards’ perseverance paid off, and he gave his team a deserved equalizer in the 69th minute, with a clinical finish, allowing the advancing Chase no chance.
