Left: Strickland ... netted a gift. Right: Dean ... scored a beauty

GOALKEEPER Edsel Scott's moment of madness yesterday handed Arnett Gardens' Leon Strickland a 54th-minute equaliser, resulting in a 1-1 draw that cost Tivoli Gardens a chance to regain third spot in the Digicel Premier League.

After similarly racing off his line in the first half to shut down an attack on the left side of his penalty box, leaving his goal unprotected, the Tivoli goalie attempted the same play nine minutes inside the second half with his team 1-0 up off Roland Dean's 24th-minute strike.

However, he ventured outside his box in his attempt to stop Strickland and hit the ball on to the Arnett striker who only had to guide a training-ground shot at an empty goal from 25 yards.

Elementary goal

Strickland's goal was elementary compared with Dean's beauty, which rocked Arnett Gardens midway the first half.

Dean's expert lob from 12 yards fired Tivoli Gardens into the lead. Under pressure from a pair of chasing defenders and goalkeeper Damion Hyatt advancing off his line to shut down the play, the Tivoli striker leaned to his left and hit a half-volley which nestled almost calmly high inside the back post.

However, it was Arnett who got the best chance to tuck away a win in the much-awaited rescheduled match, a lollipop header wasted by Kwame Richardson five minutes after Strickland's equaliser.

perfect cross

Loxley Thomas broke down the left flank and rifled in a perfect cross across the six-yard box for Richardson racing in unmarked at the back post. However, the Arnett striker aimed his header into the ground from four yards, evoking a huge howl of disappointment from the partisan home crowd.

The result moved Tivoli to 49 points, one off third-place Boys' Town and 11 behind leaders Portmore United on 60 and second-place Harbour View on 58. Arnett, on 37, stayed seventh.