Cavalier shake off rut to clip relegation-threatened Vere
Published:Tuesday | February 4, 2025 | 12:10 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
AFTER ENDURING a three-match winless streak, reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Cavalier got back to winning ways as goals from Jalmaro Calvin and Shaquille Stein handed them a 2-1 victory over the struggling Vere United at the Stadium East field.
Calvin opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Vere United’s Kevaun Atkinson equalised in the 21st. But the point was taken away in the 59th minute through Stein’s strike.
Cavalier remained fifth in the standings on 37 points, but got closer to fourth-place Portmore United on 38 and moved three clear of Waterhouse in fifth. Vere remain in the relegation zone in 13th place on 17 points, three clear of bottom-of-the-table Humble Lion.
Cavalier had been going through a lean spell, drawing three of their last four games and losing the other, so it was surprising to see how early they got to business.
The Premier League’s leading goalscorer, and recent Reggae Boyz call-up, Calvin, was in business early, lashing home a sumptuous pass from Dwayne Allen.
However, the recently returned Tyreek Magee, made his mark, driving a left-footed shot at goal which proved too difficult for Cavalier’s custodian Vino Barclett to handle.
The spill created an opportunity for Atkinson to capitalise.
Both teams tried to keep possession of the ball in search of goalscoring opportunities but Cavalier came closest in the 35th minute. An unmarked Stein, however, headed wide.
Cavalier went into the ascendancy after that but Adrian Reid misfired the chance that came from it. Truth be told, the young midfielder was put under pressure from the Vere United defenders and blinked first.
Luck ran out
Vere United’s luck ran out in the second half though, Stein outrunning his marker to glance a header beyond Vere United’s custodian Shakur Adair.
Rudolph Speid, head coach of Cavalier, was pleased to see Stein getting on the scoresheet after a lull in the frontman’s productivity.
“He hasn’t been scoring for about 10 games now. He’s one of our talismen, so it was good to see him back on the scoresheet, so we just hope that he can kick on from here for the remainder of the season,” said Speid.
Craig Butler, technical director of Vere, was not happy about losing to the particular opponents he did.
“For what the team is doing I’m proud of the effort and it was a tough loss. If there’s a game that I don’t want to lose, it’s against Rudolph Speid. It’s important that we keep people’s ego in check and let them understand that they are only dominating the Premier League in Jamaica,” said an aggrieved Butler.