Vere United drubbed Humble Lion 3-1 in a drama-filled Clarendon derby in the Jamaica Premier League at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Sunday.

In addition to the four goals, there were six yellow cards, one to Vere’s head coach Donovan Duckie, and two red cards. It all climaxed when Anjay Gayle, who came on as a substitute in the 90th minute for Kevin Johnson, scored in the 92nd minute.

Johnson, who had come on for Tyrese Harrison in the 67th minute, was substituted because coach Donovan Duckie was determined to get Gayle into the game.

Before all that, Man-of-the-Match Ricardo Messam scored two goals of high quality - in the 27th and 57^th minutes - that proved to be cornerstones of the Vere United victory.

Vere United took the lead after Humble Lion’s defender Kemar Drake failed to clear his area, allowing Messam to slot home. Andrew Vanzie would pull Humble Lion level in the 37th minute from the penalty spot for a handball in the box.

Four minutes later, things began to go downhill for Humble Lion when defender Linval Lewis was ejected after picking up his second yellow card. A man short, Humble Lion conceded a second goal when Messam tapped home after the ball rebounded into his path.

Following what was their second win of the season, Vere climbed into a tie with Harbour View at the top of the table on eight points. However, Harbour View are ahead on goal difference.

Humble Lion, meanwhile, are without a point at the foot of the table after their fourth consecutive loss, which left Head Coach Andrew Price livid.

“We keep shooting ourselves in the foot every week and getting that red card so very early in the first half, we were always behind the eight ball and had to battle against a team with a numerical advantage,” Price said.

“We have to find ways of managing and playing the game properly. We have to play with some common sense and we not doing that right now, which is unfortunate, and giving up goals that the opponents don't have to work hard for.”

Meanwhile, Duckie was more than satisfied with the three points.

 “Well, full credit to my team. It’s a derby game and we know exactly what would have happened. I thought the referee had his hands full but did the best he could,” he said.

“We scored some goals today which is unlike us because we started to play from a defensive position but I thought the guys stuck to the task and it was hard work that gave us the victory.”

Harbour View blanked Dunbeholden 2-0 in the feature game of the Jamaica Premier League at the UWI-JFF/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Saturday.

Calvert Fitzgerald has resigned as head coach of Jamaica Premier League club Molynes United with immediate effect but remains as its technical director, Sportsmax.TV has confirmed.

Jerome Waite, the assistant coach to the Jamaica senior football team is to be assigned to another national team following a decision of the Board of Directors of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

Waite is to be replaced by Merron Gordon, a past assistant coach at the National Under 23 level and former Head Coach for the Senior women's team. Gordon will join the recently appointed Assistant Coach Paul Hall in this position. Both assistant coaches will join Head Coach Theodore Whitmore at the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup.

There is no word on where Waite will end up.

The decision was taken to re-assign Waite at the quarterly board meeting held on Tuesday, June 29, after it approved a recommendation from the Technical and Development Committee (T&DC).

Coach Waite had previously served at the National Under 20 and Under 23 levels and a final decision on the re-assignment is to be recommended by the committee.

The JFF said the decision regarding Coach Waite's reassignment was a decision of the Board of Directors, the only legitimate body that can take that decision, and that Head Coach Whitmore was not involved in the decision.

A stunning goal and a beautiful assist by 19-year-old Dwayne “Busy” Atkinson gave a youthful Cavalier FC a deserved  2-0 win over an ageing Humble Lion team in the feature encounter at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Saturday.

The lively Atkinson, who came on as a 46th-minute substitute, fired a dipping shot from 25 metres that whistled past a bewildered Dennis Taylor in goal for Humble Lion in the 77th minute.

It was a beautiful goal deserving to be the first of this new season from a  player, who Head Coach Rudolph Speid said was arguably the best player in the country when he was just 15-years-old.

Then in time added on in the 90+2, Atkinson latched onto a ball at the halfway line and in one motion with the outside of his right foot, curled a beautiful through ball into the path of fellow substitute Courtney Allen, who rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home.

It was three very good points for a spritely and youthful Cavalier team with an average age of 20 years and they have thrown down the gauntlet that they will be contenders.

The Clarendon-based Humble Lion unbelievably averaging 32 years, was left stunned by the young guns with some early soul searching needed as to the make-up of their ageing squad.

Man-of-the-Match Atkinson, formerly of Kingston College, said he will be hoping to keep the legacy going set by the former young guns of Cavalier who are now playing overseas.

Meanwhile winning coach Everdean Scarlett, was not surprised by Cavalier’s energy.

“My team gave a good performance of themselves and in the end, it was youthful exuberance that prevailed,” noted Scarlett.

Losing coach Andrew Price said his ageing men could not respond to the more energetic younger Cavalier boys. “We had about 14 training sessions and definitely this Cavalier team has been training long before us and they are a much fitter and younger bunch,” Price pointed out.

“Fatigue set in and we had to make some substitutions but it’s a learning curve. The mind is saying they can do thing but their body won’t allow  them,” said Price

“In the second half Cavalier really turn on the burners on us. But it’s the first game so I won’t mark them too hard,” he added.

Javaine Johnson won the decathlon to give Kingston College a lead over Jamaica College at the end of the third day of the 2021 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kington on Thursday.

Johnson scored 5973 points to take victory over Calabar’s Dishaun Lamb who scored 5521 points.

Shamar Coke of Excelsior took the bronze medal with his 10-event score of 4962 points.

Johnson’s victory saw KC take the lead after 18 completed finals with 133 points to Jamaica College’s 124.5.

Heading into day four, Calabar has 80 points while STETHS are fourth with 80 points, many of them coming from their sweep of the 100m events. St Jago completes the top-five with 56 points.

Meanwhile, after 23 finals, Edwin Allen continues to lead the girls with 184 points. St Jago comes next with 158 with Hydel, Holmwood and Wolmer’s following with 132, 63.50 and 45 points, respectively.

STETHS reigned supreme in the 100m events with Sachin Dennis capping off the dominance with an impressive win the Class I final. Dennis, who has seemingly recovered from a long-term injury and rumours about a possible move to Bahrain, stormed to victory in 10.53s over a fast-finishing Antonio Watson of Petersfield High who clocked 10.58 for second. KC’s Bouwaghie Nkrumie was third 10.65.

With the victory, Dennis has now won the 100m title in classes 3, 2 and 1.

Earlier, his schoolmate Orlando Wint won the Class 2 title in 10.76 in a STETHS 1-3 as Javorne Dunkley was third in 11.01. Jamaica College’s Hector Benjamin won the silver medal in 10.79.

It all began when Tramaine Todd raced to a comfortable victory in the Class 3 sprint in 11.03.  KC’s Nicardo Johnson ran 11.28 for second while Vere’s Malik Carridice was third in 11.40.

No one team dominated the girls’ blue-ribbon sprints but there was some drama in the Class 2 event when medal favourite Tia Clayton of Edwin Allen was disqualified for a false start. With tears in her eyes, her twin sister Tina stormed to a record-breaking victory in 11.38s.

Hydel’s Kerrica Hill and Alana Reid took second and third in 11.61 and 11.65, respectively.

Edwin Allen’s Brandy Hall won the Class I title in 11.72 over Shenese Walker of Hydel, who clocked  11.86.  Holmwood Technical’s Shashieka Steele was third in 11.88.

 Rusea’s Lavanga Williams won the Class 3 event in 12.18 seconds leaving Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel in her wake. The latter ran 12.37 with Bryana Davidson of St Jago finishing third in 12.47.

Theianna-Lee Terrelonge became the Class 4 champion when she won in 12.53.r Poshanna-Lee Blake of St Jago was second in 12.74. Marria Crossfield of Vere ran 12.85 for third.

Chevonne Hall of Edwin Allen won the Class 1 Boys event clocking 3:59.70. Kingston College’s Aron Tanui ran him closing finishing in 3:59.86 for the silver medal. Jamaica College’s Handal Roban won the bronze medal, crossing the finish line in 4:01.48.

Jamaica College enjoyed 1-2 finish in the Class 2 race that was won by Khandale Frue in 4:12.16. Kemarrio Bygrave ran 4:13.26 to claim the silver medal.

Alex Taylor of St Jago clocked 4:14.60 for third and the bronze medal.

Jamaica College also won the Class 3 1500 when Tyrone Lawson outclassed the field to cross the finish line in 4:16.71. Maggotty’s Charehon Connally was more than five seconds back in 4:21.84 but still won the silver medal.

Calabar’s Rhsaune Johnson ran 4:29.35 to take the bronze medal.

Among the girls, Edwin Allen picked up points in all three races to maintain a comfortable buffer between themselves and their fiercest challenges, St. Jago, who won the Class 1 event in the form of Sancia Smith.

Smith took the gold medal when she ran 4:44.24. Her teammate Aleshia Douglas ran 4:49.20 to win the silver medal. However, Edwin Allen’s Jessica McLean clocked 4;49.68 for the bronze medal.

Edwin Allen collected even more points in the Class 2 event that Rickeisha Simms won in 4:36.62. Holmwood Technical’s Jodyann Mitchell was second in 4:42.69 with Shone Walters of St. Mary winning the bronze medal with her time of 4:43.60.

Holmwood’s Andrene Peart won the Class 3 title when she outran her opponents to win in 4:50.36. Cindy Rose, also from Holmwood took second place when she crossed in 4:52.23 with St Jago’s Sushana Johnson running 4:54.82 for the bronze medal.

The competition was just as fierce in the field where Jaidi James of Jamaica College won the high jump with a clearance of 1.86. Edward Sterling of Wolmer’s soared over 1.80m for second place with KC’s Roshawn Onfroy taking the bronze medal with his best effort of 1.80m.

Meantime, Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole won the Class 2 long jump after leaping out to a distance of 6.10m. Aaliyah Foster of Mount Alvernia won the silver medal with her jump of 5.90m. St Jago’s Kay-Lagay Clarke leapt 5.76m to win the bronze medal.

St Jago’s Latavia Galloway won the javelin competition throwing 41.95m while Edwin Allen’s Shenelia Williams threw 37.02 for second place. Jamora Alves of St Jago threw 35.92m for the bronze.

Akeem Bloomfield, the 2019 World Championship 400m finalist has started a gofundme account hoping to raise funds for surgery for his mother Elizabeth Palmer, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

Jamaica’s Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) has been given the green light to stage the GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston from May 11-15.

The Jamaican government will provide more than JMD$45 million in direct financial support to athletes preparing for this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Briana Williams said she is excited about competing at the New Balance Grand Prix on Saturday, February 13, saying she is in good shape and looking to do well.

The Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) has vowed to keep a watchful eye on its parent body, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) after pointing out that it had ‘misgivings’ with its management of the country’s football.

Among the concerns highlighted in a press release issued on Friday, KSAFA mentioned a lack of transparency regarding its restructuring proposal.  The local football bodies had clashed last year when the JFF had expressed the desire to implement wide-ranging reform to the island’s clubs and competition structure.

In addition, KSAFA expressed concerns regarding plans being in place for the start of the World Cup Qualifying campaign and youth development programs.  The body has resolved to establish a subcommittee responsible for monitoring and evaluating the actions of the JFF.

“At its meeting held to deliberate wide-ranging missteps of the local governing body, KSAFA was unified in expressing misgivings about the JFF’s plans to chart the course for Jamaica’s football,” the release read.

“KSAFA is committed to not only highlight the JFF’s missteps and to express misgivings, but is also insisting on greater accountability and transparency from the JFF.”