Arnett Gardens and MoBay United share points in 2-2 draw
ST JAMES, Jamaica – Montego Bay United came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw against Arnett Gardens in their Jamaica Premier League third round game played on Monday evening at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
Two mistakes, one right after the start, and the other close to the end of the first half, resulted in goals for Arnett Gardens from Fabian Reid and Shai Smith respectively. But Montego Bay responded through Leonardo Rankine and Lucas Lima, both scoring their first goals of the season.
The result saw Arnett Gardens retain their second position on 62 points, six behind leaders Mt Pleasant FA who have a game in hand, and two points more than Montego Bay in third place.
Montego Bay played the last 15 minutes including time added with only 10 players as, after making all their substitutions, Shaniel Thomas was forced to leave the field with what appeared to be a dislocated left shoulder following a hard tackle from Shamari Dyer.
After soaking up pressure at the start of the game, Arnett Gardens took the lead in the 12th minute when Reid, surrounded by three defenders, redirected a cross from the left wing past Montego Bay goalkeeper Aaron Enil and into the net.
Rankine drew Montego Bay United level in the 43rd minute when he headed powerfully past Arnett Gardens’ goalkeeper Tyrone Williams from a corner, just over five minutes after he had failed to get to a ball that rolled across the face of the goal after rebounding off the cross bar.
A bad mistake from Enil three minutes into time added on at the end of the half was punished as Reid snapped up a ball that the goalkeeper failed to hold on to and set up Smith who smashed it home from close range.
Lima, who had two good chances to score in the first half, pulled Montego Bay United level at 2-2 in the 69th minute when he was first to respond to a ball knocked down by Williams at his right post and fired it back past the goalkeeper.
