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Brown rescues Arnett with late goal against Cavalier
May 16, 2025
ARNETT GARDENS FC's leading goalscorer, Warner Brown, said he is grateful to help his team equalise, with a late goal, to enable a 1-1 scoreline with defending champions Cavalier SC in the first leg of their Jamaica Premier League semi-final football match at Montego Bay Sports Complex on Thursday night.
Cavalier's Jerome McLeary produced a moment of brilliance in the 26th minute when he scored his second goal for the season, from close range, to give his team a 1-0 lead.
But the league's leading goalscorer, Brown, scored from close range in the 80th minute to register his 22nd goal.
"The goal is another one to add to the tally so it is a great feeling," the striker said. "We were up against a tough opponent in Cavalier. Being down one-nil we needed that goal and I am happy we got it," Brown said.
"For Sunday's game we have to definitely go back to the drawing board, put in the work and prepare for the final leg," he added.
Cavalier's head coach Rudolph Speid said the team needed to be sharper to have won.
"This our 96th game in one year and 10 months, so you know that we're not going be as sharp. We weren't able to put away some of the chances that we got. It is not the best of the result but not the worst either.
"I would'nt say the other team rallied; we should have got a penalty. We are going to see if we can get some solace, and we know that we have to get ready for the game on Sunday," Speid added.
Nervousness was shown throughout the opening exchanges by the two teams. Eventually, both teams settled down and would start making decent attempts at goal.
In the second half, Arnett came out more organised and played with composure.
However, their coach, Xavier Gilbert, said he was disappointed in the team's performance.
"Things that we talked about, we were far from it. We have to do better at this level. Cavalier didn't show anything that we didn't expect or spoke about. We played too slow and right into their hands," Gilbert said.
He added, "For Sunday's game we have to ensure we are fit, recover and give a better performance."
Owen Hill, CEO of Professional Football Jamaica Limited which runs the competition, said the organisation was ecstatic about hosting the semi-finals in western Jamaica.
"Playing a game of this magnitude on this side of the island is to give fans an opportunity to experience the JPL. We have always planned on expanding, which is part of the mandate. It is definitely to get football across the length and breadth of the country," Hill said.
Montego Bay United are pushing to be the first team from that region to win the title in many years.
In 2015-16, the St James outfit were the last from western Jamaica to lift the Premier League title.
They are now trying to end that drought, tackling Mount Pleasant Football Academy in the second semi-finals. But the St James team will have some work to do in the return semi-finals after losing 1-0.
Clifford Thomas scored for Mount Pleasant FA in the 21st minute.
The second leg will be played on Sunday, May 18 at Sabina Park.
