Rivoli United, led by a 51st-minute strike from Kirk Ramsey, edged hosts August Town 1-0 in their Digicel Premier League match at the Mona Bowl yesterday.

The victory moved Rivoli United up to seventh place in the standings on 26 points, two behind sixth-place side Sporting Central Academy (28), who were beaten 1-0 by bottom-place Village United (23) at Brancourt.

August Town dropped to eighth on 25 points.

Oneil Thompson, coach of Rivoli United, said his team have been working hard to achieving a place in the top half of the points standings.

The aim

"Our aim to finish as one of the top-six teams in the competition, but in order for us to do this have to start winning a lot more games and don't lose any," said Thompson.

Thompson added: "I think we played good because we dominated most of the match and I believe that we should have scored a few more goals."

A heavy breeze blowing across the ground affected play significantly, as neither team was able to create any clear-cut scoring opportunity in the first half, which ended goalless.

Rivoli United came out looking livelier in the second half and went on to dominate the proceedings. They were rewarded when Ramsey, who collected a splitting through pass out of the midfield from Davis Lewis, outsprinted two August Town defenders, before slotting past goalkeeper Devon Haughton, who was advancing from his goal.

Point-blank header

Ramsey came close to doubling the visitors' lead seven minutes later, but his point-blank header was tipped over the crossbar by Haughton.

August Town were not sitting back and Daniel Shaw came close to giving the homesters the equaliser two minutes from full time, with a ferocious free kick from 20 yards, which was spectacularly saved by custodian Leon Goffe diving full stretch to his right.

August Town's coach, Paul Young, said: "I am very disappointed with our performance because they didn't play the way I wanted them to play.

"Rivoli wanted this match a lot more than us because they played very hard and they were also a lot quicker to the ball and I think they deserved their victory today," Young added.