Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts
Back amongst the parish contenders for the first time in over three decades, Granville recorded their first win of the 2020 St. James FA/Sandals Resorts International Major League, while Heights made it two wins from as many starts in the latest round of games contested.
Granville blanked promoted Club Ville 2-0 while Heights consolidated their position atop Zone Two with a narrow 1-0 victory over Violet Kickers.
The vital goal of the contest involving Heights and Kickers came in the 61st minute as Kimali Powell fired home his first for his new team.
Powell, in the Heights camp after moving from MoBay City, stabbed in from close range after a put-back from substitute Anthony Gooden mere minutes after arriving on the field.
Heights had been at their usual best, creating and wasting several chances and looked like sharing the points with Kickers, before the all-important goal came in classic fashion.
At the Granville field, Davion Thelwell and Corey Matthews struck in either half to give the home team a comfortable 2-0 win over Ville in front of a vocal crowd.
The three points lifted the Granville team to the top of Zone 1 with four points, just one clear of the joint second-positioned Reggae Youths and Irwin, who each had wins in their first round matches.
Thelwell sent the Granville team ahead midway the first half (36 minute) before Matthews made the points safe with a second 11 minutes into the re-start.
In an entertaining match-up at the UDC field, Heights dominated from start to finish and restricted the Kickers team to just two shots on goal as they snatched another three points, the best start to a season in three years.
Heights tormented their opponents’ backline regularly, but were frustrated as the first half ended goalless.
The deadlock was broken seconds after the hour mark when young Powell found his way unattended in the box to get on the end of a timely drop off pass from Gooden, which he turned into the net.
Defeat left Kickers still searching for a victory and with just a solitary point.
In the meantime, Irwin can re-take the lead in Zone 1, with a win over wobbly Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club in a contest set for the UDC field.
Irwin have already ticked off a win and go in search of a second, but the MBBGC was clobbered in their first outing and will be hoping to get on the winning trail.
Match time is 3 p.m.