Arnett Gardens Women Lead JWPL Semi 3-2 After First Leg Against Los Perfectos

Arnett Gardens FC Women took a step nearer the Jamaica Women's Premier League final on Saturday, beating Los Perfectos 3-2 in the opening leg of their semi-final at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.

The fixture became a duel between two of the competition's leading markswomen. Shikira Douglas struck twice for Arnett Gardens, while veteran Venicia Reid answered with two goals for Los Perfectos.

Douglas put Arnett ahead in the second minute and struck again just before the interval, lifting her season count to 18. Taunashae Hamilton added a third for the Junglists in the 78th minute. Reid, widely known as String Bean, found the net in the 28th and 89th minutes for the Manchester side, raising her own tally to 21 and keeping the tie alive ahead of the return match.

Arnett began strongly and were ahead after one minute and 28 seconds, with national senior women's head coach Hugh Busby among those watching. Douglas pounced on a backward glance header from Abigail Mullings, sprinted past the last defender, and placed her shot beyond the goalkeeper.

The Kingston club kept probing the Los Perfectos defence and ought to have widened the margin, but wasteful finishing cost them. Reid levelled against the flow when she timed her run to beat the offside trap and slid the ball home.

Arnett went back in front shortly before half-time as Douglas latched onto a ball played over the top and converted cleanly to make it 2-1 at the break.

After the restart, Arnett pressed again. Suen Gregory troubled the Los Perfectos back line and slipped a pass to Hamilton, who drove into the box and fired in to make it 3-1 in the 78th minute.

Just when the home side looked set to control the tie, Reid struck once more in the 89th minute. She ran onto a through ball from Shonda Mullings, shrugged off Shaquilla Forbes, and finished from a narrow angle to give Los Perfectos a lifeline before the second leg.

That late goal also underscored chances Arnett had spurned that might have settled the series before next Saturday's return fixture at the same ground.