Goal-shy Vere earn another draw in JPL

It is no secret that Vere United are having a goal-scoring problem in this year’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

On Sunday, the Clarendon-based Vere chalked up their sixth draw of the campaign in a 0-0 stalemate with newcomers and neighbours Chapelton Maroons, who secured their eighth point of the new season at the Wembley Centre of Excellence

Vere have scored just twice in nine outings, as the team once again failed to trouble the opposing custodian Jovell Plunket, who had just one save to make in the entire 90 minutes of play. The hosts also ended the game with 10 men, as mid-fielder Courton Wright was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 68th minute.

With head coach Linval Dixon missing from the game because of illness, former Reggae Boy Paul Young stepped in to oversee things in Dixon’s absence. Young’s presence didn’t seem to inspire the Vere team, who looked shell-shocked in front of the goal, despite the encouragement from the sparse crowd.

Likewise, the youthfulness of the Chapelton team also showed, as a lack of confidence in the final third was also their downfall for the duration of the game

With just six points to show from their nine games, manager of Vere United, Michael Thompson, says the team is lacking cohesion at this stage of the competition.

“I know coach Dixon’s absence played a part today, as the team was not focused, but the lack of teamwork is still an unfortunate issue for us and we need to start getting more effort from the players.”

A similar situation is also plaguing coach Lenworth Hyde and his Chapelton team, as he is working on getting his amateur players to gel with the professional players.

With several schoolboy players in his starting line-up, Hyde says it will take some time for them to start playing the way he wants them to play.

“It is not bad for us to come to Vere and get a point but we could have played a lot better. We didn’t create enough chances because we were tentative. We need to instil some more confidence in these players and, hopefully, when we get in a few more players next week, things will be different,” the Chapelton head coach said.

In other early JPL matches, Faulkland FC and Molynes United played to a 2-2 draw in the opening match of a double-header at WesPow Park. In the second game at the venue, Dunbeholden blanked Montego Bay United 2-0. At the Stadium East, Tivoli Gardens and Portmore United played to a 0-0 draw.