Silver Sands' Albert Mapp (left) trying to move past his marker in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Paradise. (Picture by Charles Pitt-Grant.)

by EZRA STUART

GERA-TEC SERVICES MAXWELL rewarded their new sponsors with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Technico to move clear at the top of the Digicel Premier League football standings with nine points from four matches.

Playing in the final game of Sunday night's triple header at the YMCA, after the first two matches between Mackeson Brittons Hill and Tudor Bridge, and Paradise and Lickin Chicken Silver Sands had ended in goalless draws, Maxwell broke the goal drought in the 28th minute.

Striker Ricky Barnes, who was a live-wire throughout the match, switched to the left side and crossed the ball over to an unmarked Otis Ollivierre on the edge of the penalty area.

The experienced Ollivierre hit a tame but accurate left-foot shot on the volley straight at Technico's goalkeeper Bentley Springer, who had already dropped to the ground in a crouching position to effect the save. But the ball bounced in front of him and went over his body into the nets as he lay haplessly on the turf.

While it was a soft goal, it was welcomed by the fans as 208 minutes had already passed without a goal being scored and some spectators were already asking when was the last time all three matches had ended in goalless draws.

It was a rare mistake by Springer, who had accredited himself well earlier when he dived to his right to save a snap shot from Ollivierre and also parried a stinging shot by Shane Cox for a corner.

Technico tried to get back on level terms before half-time but were denied when a powerful 30-metre shot from Anreco Ramsey crashed onto the crossbar.

Low shot

On resumption, Maxwell went 2-0 up in the 59th minute when Kenny Sealy ran onto a pass from Ollivierre and hit a low shot with the outside of his instep and the ball spun away and gave goalkeeper Springer no chance to save as it went in at the right post.

Midfielder Nicholas "Allan" King raised Technico's hopes of at least salvaging a draw with a stupendous one-time shot from about
25 metres in the 75th minute which sailed past goalkeeper Oliver Hinkson as it crashed into the back of the nets.

But with Technico pressing for a second goal, Maxwell's coach Hendy Williams fortified their defence in the last ten minutes, bringing on Richard Burrowes for Winston Farrell and the Briar Hall, Kendal Hill side held on for their third victory of the season.

In the opening match, striker Dwayne Lynch missed a couple of easy chances in the first-half and Walton Burrowes
also sent a simple header over the bars from within the box, as Brittons Hill failed to beat a spirited Tudor Bridge side, which had to substitute their injured goalkeeper Saheka Duke and used lanky defender Troy Lambert in the bars for the last 15 minutes.

The all-Christ Church battle between Paradise and Silver Sands, which was scheduled for today but was brought forward, also ended in a stalemate with Paradise's striker Shane Callender and midfielder Randy Burrowes coming close to scoring as well as Silver Sands' Troy Callender.

The Premier League continues tonight at the "Y" with the game between defending champions Barbados Defence Force and Gall Hill, which was postponed from Sunday, being played at 6:30 p.m.' followed by an 8:30 p.m. showdown between Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame and Youth Milan.