All is even going into the final leg of the Wray & Nephew NPL finals.
Kevin Wilson cancels Gregory Messam's own goal.
By Texas Ranger
May 19, 2003
Email: webmaster@arnettgardensfc.com
Both teams have it all to do again as history repeated itself once more. Both Hazard United and Arnett Gardens enter the June 1 finals of the National Premier League on even terms after playing to a 1-1 scoreline today. Kevin brought his team back in the contest after being brilliantly set up by substitute Everton Bunsie. This after the Junglists went behind from a own goal by Gregory Messam, who headed the ball in his own net off the crossbar while trying to clear Claude Davis's header.

Hazard dominated the first half of the game, looking the team that wanted the victory more. Arnett was forced to play catchup and do some ball chasing but turned up in the second half despite conceding first. The revival was led by the spirited Everton Bunsie coming off the bench to inject some much needed championship confidence in his team and the fans.

On ten minutes Jermaine Benjamin, in for Neil who was out on two yellow cards, had a shot from distance dipping over the bar. Boyd tried a shot on the turn a minute later but it went nowhere near the target. Roen Nelson responded in the same minute with a shot straight to McLeish. Chin-Sue also tried his luck from distance in the i5th but that too was high. Three minute late Benjamin had another opportunity to test Sawyers, but his tame shot was deflected before easily rolling to the goalie. Then Hazard started making their good passing game pay, Kevin Deer sending a sizzling cross in the area and a late Morrison failing to make contact. Min 24 Nelson miss-fired on another cross, this time from Wolry Wolf.

It took a very accurate and timely tackle by Alex Thomas two minutes later to prevent Hazard from shoot freely at goal when they found a gaping hole in the Arnett defense. Morrison the waltzed in from the right to set up Nelson whose shot was well held by McLeish. Omar Daley attempted a shot from distant that went wide. Arnett breathed a sigh of relief when, in a flash, Kevin Deer latched onto a loose ball, sprinted to the byline and crossed for an unmarked Nelson who failed to make contact.

Inside the first minute of the second half, Arnett got the ball in the net, but Wilson was adjudged to be offside. Then in minute 49 Hazard took the lead as they always do, when Claude Davis's header to the far corner was headed onto the underside of the crossbar by Messam. The falling ball then fell onto Chin-Sue's body and went over the line for 1-0 to Hazard. Moments later Nelson rose high between two defenders to send his header wide. The Hazard fans thought they were up 2-0 when Nelson stormed in to ram the ball home in the six-yard area, but he was offside on the play.

Chin-Sue's 54 minute shot from just outside the box went straight to Sawyers, while three minutes after McLeish performed shear heroics when got just enough palm to Daley's thunderous right footer to put it over the bar. Kevin Wilson squandered a good chance to level when he put his one time shot straight to the keeper of Williams did well to steal the ball and cross for him. Three minutes after McLeish presented his body to block Morison's shot at the back post.

Coach Jerome Waite then injected Denton Shedden and Everton Bunsie for Jermaine Benjamin and Fabian Davis respectively. Bunsie made his mark on the game immediately. Within three minutes he made a bigger mark when he elegantly glided by two defenders and pass to Wilson who picked his spot and buried the ball pass Sawyers. The other sub, Shedden, threw away his only chance in the game when he put Williams cross high in the air with an empty goal to head into. Wilson tried an overhead kick on the falling ball but it crashed onto the crossbar. The champions then upped the tempo with some deft passing that had the fans roaring in approval. They however failed to maintain it to the end and committed a series of errors that could have allowed Hazard scoring opportunities but in the end they held on.

SEE GAME PICS BELOW

Arnett starting XI: Julian McLeish, Alex Thomas, Oneil Dunn, Shane Stevens, Cornel Chin-Sue(Kwame Richardson), Fabian Davis(Everton Bunsie), Jermaine Benjamin(Dentton Sheddon), Jonathon Williams, Gregory Messam, Kevin Wilson, Walter Boyd.
Subs not used; Selvin Collins, Carlton Aikens, Alberto Fray, Kevin Blair, Michael Allen.

Hazard United XL: Shawn Sawyers, Anthony Modeste, Kevin Deer(Williams), Claude Davis, Andrew Morrison, Wolry Wolfe(Loxley Thomas), Omar Daley(Kirk Ramsay), Roen Nelson, Sheldon Battiste, Adrian Mitchell, Ricardo Smith.
Subs not used;Dennis Ebanks, Kendrie Quarrie, Ryan Powell, Dwayne Peter