A more single-minded team unit finally remembered what it takes to gain three points as a plucky performance at home was a breath of fresh air to the Harbour View supporters which included World Class athletes Usain Bolt, Jermaine Gonzales and the gorgeous Bridgette Foster big sister to homeboy Lovell Palmer.
Loyal fans remained for a hour or more after the game still savouring the thought of being back again on top of the Premier League table, in addition to the atmosphere of excellence that permeated the grounds as ’the real’ gold and blue team turned up today to correct the anomally left behind from the end-of-first-round finals when waterhouse lifted the coveted crown for the title plus $150,000 and an enormous measure of pride.
Fabian Taylor looked sharpest at the start with telling runs goalwards resulting in a fierce grounder slamming at the base of the right upright with goalkeeper Loxely Ried well beaten plus two headers flashing wide of the mark from out jumping defenders around the penalty spot. Jermaine Hue’s two leftfooted drives were well handled by the experienced Ried while Clifton Waugh’s 40 yards diagonal pass to the left corner flag attracted the attention of Robert Scarlett whose designed square evaded the out-stretched efforts of attackers, defenders and the goalkeeper alike for the alert overlapping Donald Stewart to slam home from 10 yards beyond the far post. Harbour View up 1-0.
The 36th minute celebration seamed to have a victorious statement attached to it.
Waterhouse attacking plays centered around Nigerian Ucheckuwu Chinyere, Irvino English and Damion Powell counter-attacking if and when he wins the ball from his man marked hit-man Jermaine Hue. The efficient Baris Johnson coordinated defensive and early attacking combinations at the back but the dynamic team plays displayed in the first round was noticebly absent today. The half ended 1-0.
Waterhouse came alive as the ends changed, searching tentatively for a goal that had eluded them thus far only to realise Harbour View was more intent on increasing the lead.
It came only nine minutes into the half when a Fabian Taylor shot was charged down by the central defender but as it bounced Jomo Gordon pounced on it to drive home from seven yards much to the seemingly surprise of custodian Loxely Ried to cast an air of invincibility to ‘The View’ on the day. A block on the goalline by William Richards, fine saves from Leeroy Grey and stout-hearted defending by Palmer, Stewart, Waugh alongside Richards and completed by the energetic midfielder Conrad Hunt.
Supersub Nicholas McCreath made his entrance immediately soliciting a marker who struggled helplessly to contain him even when fouling him before he passed to Taylor to slot home from six yards only to be ruled offside. The game pattern remained unchanged throughout with Harbour View dominating possession and Waterhouse competing through long searching dribbles upfield combined with simple passes aimed increasingly at Chinyere who got maximum rotational attention from Waugh, Richards, Harvey and Grey in goal.
That plan worked well throughout as Harbour View resorted to a stay behind-the-ball strategy that frustrated the opponents while Akeem Priestly and Dino Williams replaced
Conrad Hint and Robert Scarlett adding attacking punch to the weary team unit who were now staring defeat squarely in the face and accepting it after 90 minutes.
Harbour View 2 Waterhouse 0.
