Real Mona down UWI to boost playoffs ambition

Real Mona earned a comfortable 2-0 win over the University of the West Indies (UWI) Women yesterday at the UWI Mona Bowl in Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) action, boosting their charge for a spot in the league’s semifinals.

Monica Bosiljevac opened the scoring for Real Mona in the 57th minute before Olivia Ashbourne applied the finishing touch in the 90th.

With the win, Real Mona moved to eight points to sit fourth in Zone A, adrift league leaders Arnett Gardens, 22, Cavalier, 15, and Wifi United 10.

Neo Oxford, head coach of Real Mona, praised his team for their performance as they dispatched a resolute UWI team.

“I think it’s a very good performance and we’re getting a double in the league on UWI,” Oxford said after the match.

“It’s a big one for us especially with the age that we have in this team. I’ve been saying it over and over, when schoolgirl football comes to an end, you will see the real Real Mona and what we have to offer. I think we saw that today.”

Real Mona controlled much of the proceedings and, on another day, could have run up the goal tally against UWI.

However, they struggled to break down UWI’s defence despite a number of opportunities in the first half.

Their breakthrough came in the second half when midfield maestro Alexia Evans turned her marker and played in Bosiljevac who slotted the ball neatly into the bottom left corner.

They found their second in the dying moments of the game when the team’s leading goalscorer Ashbourne ran through on goal and hit a low-driven effort past goalkeeper Valecia Anderson.

Oxford said the win, combined with Proven Girls defeating Cavalier, meant they still have a chance of securing a spot in the semifinals.

The top two teams from each zone will advance to the knockout rounds, and Real Mona will have three games to overturn a seven-point deficit.

Despite the uphill task, Oxford is optimistic his players can pull off the improbable.

“Big up to Proven [Girls] for getting past Cavalier today, keeping us in the league for a semifinal spot,” Oxford said.

“We have a set of girls who are ready and we have three games to go. We have one rescheduled to come, so now it’s in our hands,” he continued.

FRAZSIERS WHIP SPRINGERS

In other results across the league, three-time defending champions Frazsiers Whip continued their dominant run in the league, whipped Springers United 11-0 at the Irwin High school field.

The league’s leading goalscorer Christina Salmon scored six goals in the rout to bring her tally to 18 this season.

Shanel Spence scored twice while Danishca Rattray, Shauntai Pryce and Nevillegail Able all added their names to the scoresheet with a goal each.

Frazsiers Whip sit atop Zone B with a perfect record and 24 points and 48 goals scored in eight games.

Arnett continued their unbeaten run in Zone A as they thumped Wifi United 6-0 at home.

They picked up their seventh win of the season to move seven points atop the zone with 22 points.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s results:

Zone A

Cavalier 0-1 Proven Girls

Arnett 6-0 WiFi United

UWI 0-2 Real Mona

ZONE B

Federal United 1-4 Los Perfectos

Real MoBay 0-0 Mile Gully

Springers United 0-11 Frazsiers Whip