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BT hurting after top striker goes missing
Published: Saturday | December 15, 2012 0 Comments
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter
At a time when Boys' Town need all hands on deck to try and lift themselves out of the slump they are in, one of their top players, the Red Stripe Premier League's joint top scorer, Rafiek Thomas, has not reported for duty since the team's December 2 defeat to Arnett Gardens.
Thomas, who leads his team in scoring with seven goals, missed his second game on Thursday as the Red Brigade suffered their fourth consecutive defeat after going down 3-0 to nine-man Harbour View at the Anthony Spaulding Complex.
Boys' Town have managed only one point since their end-of-first-round final win over Harbour View, as they have gone six games without a win to be eighth in the 12-team standings on 23 points.
Harbour View lead the standings with 34 points.
The Stars of the East, who were reduced to nine players following the ejection of Jaron Richards (45th) and Roland Dean (76th), got their goals from Nicholas Beckett (5th), Evan Taylor (81st) and Eric Vernon (87th).
Thomas strike partner, Romeo Parkes, also did not show up for Thursday's game, forcing coach Andrew Price to make a late change to Boys' Town's starting line-up, as his team took to the field without a recognised forward.
NO SIGN OF THOMAS
"Since we played the game against Arnett Gardens we haven't seen Rafiek (Thomas); we have tried to get in touch with him and he hasn't communicated with us," Price told The Gleaner. "To be honest, we haven't heard from him; I don't know if he is taking a break from the game.
"Romeo (Parkes) picked up a knock in the last game, so I believe that is one of reasons why he is not here. We expected him today (Thursday), he lives all the way in Portland, but we haven't seen him. But we are going to have to work with the people we have here."
Harbour View, who had gone three games without a win prior to Thursday, got off to a dream start when Nicholas Beckett fired home from close range after the Boys' Town defence had failed to clear their area.
Boys' Town came closest to scoring in the 36th minute when a deflected shot by Michael Campbell was cleared off the line by Eric Vernon.
Despite the ejection of Richards on the stroke of half-time for abusive language aimed at referee Dwight Royal, and Dean midway through the second half after he was involved in a fracas with Daemon Benjamin, his second bookable offence, Boys' Town looked a threat only from set plays - mainly corner kicks.
The wind was knocked out of Boys' Town's sails in the 81st minute when Taylor scored a peach of a goal, as he spotted Boys' Town's custodian Kirk Porter off his line and let fly from inside his own half.
"He (Taylor) saw the goalkeeper out and he actually tried that in training earlier this week and he delivered now and it worked out perfectly,"
Harbour View's coach Vin Blaine said of Taylor's goal. "I think it gave us the boost to get the third goal, as that caught Boys' Town real flat and they were deflated."
A slick counter-attacking move between substitute Jermie Lynch and Vernon saw the latter slot home Harbour View's third three minutes from full time.
ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com
Published: Saturday | December 15, 2012 0 Comments
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter
At a time when Boys' Town need all hands on deck to try and lift themselves out of the slump they are in, one of their top players, the Red Stripe Premier League's joint top scorer, Rafiek Thomas, has not reported for duty since the team's December 2 defeat to Arnett Gardens.
Thomas, who leads his team in scoring with seven goals, missed his second game on Thursday as the Red Brigade suffered their fourth consecutive defeat after going down 3-0 to nine-man Harbour View at the Anthony Spaulding Complex.
Boys' Town have managed only one point since their end-of-first-round final win over Harbour View, as they have gone six games without a win to be eighth in the 12-team standings on 23 points.
Harbour View lead the standings with 34 points.
The Stars of the East, who were reduced to nine players following the ejection of Jaron Richards (45th) and Roland Dean (76th), got their goals from Nicholas Beckett (5th), Evan Taylor (81st) and Eric Vernon (87th).
Thomas strike partner, Romeo Parkes, also did not show up for Thursday's game, forcing coach Andrew Price to make a late change to Boys' Town's starting line-up, as his team took to the field without a recognised forward.
NO SIGN OF THOMAS
"Since we played the game against Arnett Gardens we haven't seen Rafiek (Thomas); we have tried to get in touch with him and he hasn't communicated with us," Price told The Gleaner. "To be honest, we haven't heard from him; I don't know if he is taking a break from the game.
"Romeo (Parkes) picked up a knock in the last game, so I believe that is one of reasons why he is not here. We expected him today (Thursday), he lives all the way in Portland, but we haven't seen him. But we are going to have to work with the people we have here."
Harbour View, who had gone three games without a win prior to Thursday, got off to a dream start when Nicholas Beckett fired home from close range after the Boys' Town defence had failed to clear their area.
Boys' Town came closest to scoring in the 36th minute when a deflected shot by Michael Campbell was cleared off the line by Eric Vernon.
Despite the ejection of Richards on the stroke of half-time for abusive language aimed at referee Dwight Royal, and Dean midway through the second half after he was involved in a fracas with Daemon Benjamin, his second bookable offence, Boys' Town looked a threat only from set plays - mainly corner kicks.
The wind was knocked out of Boys' Town's sails in the 81st minute when Taylor scored a peach of a goal, as he spotted Boys' Town's custodian Kirk Porter off his line and let fly from inside his own half.
"He (Taylor) saw the goalkeeper out and he actually tried that in training earlier this week and he delivered now and it worked out perfectly,"
Harbour View's coach Vin Blaine said of Taylor's goal. "I think it gave us the boost to get the third goal, as that caught Boys' Town real flat and they were deflated."
A slick counter-attacking move between substitute Jermie Lynch and Vernon saw the latter slot home Harbour View's third three minutes from full time.
ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com
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