CALVERT Fitzgerald’s Rivoli United carved out yet another impressive victory in the South Central Confederation Super League as they defeated Super Action 3-1 at Treasure Beach in round nine action on the weekend.

Spartan Athletic were most impressive of the round though, hammering Royal Lakes 4-1 at Clarendon College; while Newland’s terrific run in the second phase of the competition continued when they turned back visitors New Green 3-1 at Newland. But the visitors vented their displeasure regarding the playing surface.

In other matches, Naggo Head clipped Monymusk 2-1; Downs turned back De La Vega City 1-0, while Meadows and Bodles played to a 0-0 draw.

Royal Lakes’ trip to northern Clarendon was not expected to be an easy ride, and few would have predicted such a dominant show from the hosts, who led 1-0 at half-time through an Oshane Grant strike in the 35th minute.

Anthone Bimmer, head coach of Royal Lakes, seemed to have said the right stuff during the half-time break, as Kenroy Howell pulled them level six minutes after the resumption. But the balance of the match swung in favour of Spartan when Garvin Walters (59th) sent them in front for the second time.

Walters’ goal created a period of dominance thereafter, and the game was put to bed moments later when Byzel Knight (72nd) scored the team’s third, while Grant registered his second of the match on the stroke of full time.

Rivoli have now amassed 21 points from a possible 24, but had to come from behind to beat Super Action at St Elizabeth Technical High School.

The hosts, who are struggling at the other end of the table on six points, took a surprise lead through an Orane Rhoden strike.

However, their lead never lasted for long, as Nicardo Williams equalised before Anthony Greenland put them in front before the break. Full points were then assured midway the second half when Ryan Morgan scored Rivoli’s third.

Having collected only a point in round one, Newland have managed to turn things around, as they have now bagged seven points from nine after claiming victory over Manchester’s New Green.

Jermaine White shocked the home fans when he hit the target five minutes into the match, but two minutes later Newland pulled level through Christopher Campbell’s strike.

Sasha Welch and Conrod White then sealed victory for Newland with second-half strikes to move their team up to eighth in the overall standing.

While not blaming the surface of the field for his team’s loss, New Green’s coach Andre Swaby criticised the “poor state of the Newland field”.

“The field is terrible,” Swaby told the Observer on Monday. “As far as I know the field was banned by the St Catherine FA. It is very dusty. Dust was killing us. No football should be played on that field, not even corner league.”

However, when contacted on Tuesday, general secretary of the St Catherine FA Norman Blair said: “No, the Newland field was not banned. Last season a decision was taken not to use the ground because there was no fencing around it. But that’s now in place and the St Catherine FA has assigned games at Newland this season. But it’s one of the poorer kept grounds in the parish and an inspection of the facility is set for sometime this week as there have been reports about the playing surface.”

“But as it is now, the field is not banned,” he reiterated.

Downs logged their second win of the campaign by beating De La Vega City at the Downs Community Centre with Shane Simpson getting the allimportant goal in the first half.

Naggo Head’s form has been consistent throughout, as they battled to a hard-fought home win over Clarendon’s Monymusk.

Dwight Byfield (8th) put the former Premier League side in the lead, but approaching half-time Andre Jones (38th) pulled a goal back for the Clarendonians. However, the visitors went behind yet again when Naggo Head’s Sheldon Hopkins scored in the 65th minute.

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