UNDER 21:
A late goal by Marcellino Blackburn was enough to level the scores and keep Tivoli Gardens FC second a point ahead of 3rd place Harbour View FC.
PREMIER LEAGUE:
The opening game of three, all to be played on Wednesdays in December 1st, 8th and 15th between 2003-04 Premier League Champions Tivoli Gardens FC and the Runner-up Harbour View FC ended in an exciting 2-2 contest at the Compound.
In what seemed to be an appetizer ahead of next Wednesday CFU Caribbean Club Championship Finals also mat the Compound both clubs battled for psychological ascendancy with Tivoli drawing first –blood when Steve Green stabbed home a Orane Simpson cross from close-in after 26 minutes.
The exchanges flowed sweetly much to the delight of the fair sized crowd on hand for a 3pm weekday game. Goals followed and they exploded when Jermaine Hue’s right sided freekick was not cleared from goal properly. It fell onto the chest of Nicholas McCreath at the top of the box, to control, body shift a defender and rifle home a cannon into the far post after 53 minutes.
Sean Fraser darted goalwards into the penalty area twice within 5 minutes to be awarded with a penalty call in minute 63, as Clifton Waugh converted accurately to take the 2-1 lead.
Substitute Lenworth Hyde Jr. made his entrance felt when he made the most of a feeble clearance to slot wide of custodian Ryan Thompson in the 79th minute, effectively ending the game 2-2 and whetting the appetite for another mouth-watering encounter #2 next Wednesday night at 7pm under the newly installed floodlights.
HARBOUR REBOUNDS IN STYLE WITH CAPTAIN JERMAINE HUE STRIKING A HATRICK IN “BRILLIANT” FASHION WITH TWO TRADEMARK FREEKICKS!
Under 21 Captain Marcelino Blackburn leads with a hatrick in the 5-1 victory.
UNDER 21:
A first half hatrick by Blackburn assisted by a hatrick of assist passing from main goalgetter Kemar Petrekin, was efficiently finished off by substitute Andre “Antsman” Whyte with a double strike. Ricardo Reid replied for Village United in the 53rd minute.
PREMIER LEAGUE:
As the captain’s lead their teams in attack Jermaine Hue struck a devastating blow to the campaign of Village United when he scored in minutes 4, 58 and 66. Christopher Harvey started the rout as he squared to Hue at the far post for him to control beat the defender and score.
Village United equalised on minute 18 when Fabian Dawkins crossed to Teofore Bennett to strip Harvey of possession and slot past the advancing goalkeeper Ryan Thompson from 8 yards out.
Sean Fraser was on hand to float a free-kick from three yards away from the right corner flag onto the waiting head of Harvey to score the second goal after 24 minutes.
HALFTIME: HARBOUR VIEW 2 VILLAGE UNITED 1.
The best was yet to come as Jermaine Hue drew an infringement from three defenders who tracked him about 30 yards out from goal. He stood up, glanced goalwards and steered a shot inside the near post to celebrate a 3-1 lead.
Well if the stunned LIVE Television audience never believed it he would repeat the feat minutes later as Fraser was fouled about 25 yards out in a similar position, this time he placed the shot at the far post for a desperately lounging Elvis Hart in goal to try but fail to keep out. The celebration now peaked as the Cheerleaders pranced, fans screamed and Simon Crosskill the television announcer was beside himself as he acclaimed the “Meastro” as a sure pick in Jamaica’s world cup team on Wednesday against the USA in Ohio.
The celebration was so far-fetched that young goalkeeper Ryan Thompson was caught hand-slapping a huddle of teammates upfield when the referee Victor Stewart signalled the restart as Bennett’s shot flew inches wide of a exposed goal.
Daniel Rickett’s came on along with Dwayne Cole to add verve and pace to the sagging Village United fortunes to turn two defenders on the line to square past Thompson as Jermaine Taylor’s effort to clear from attackers on the goaline was only successful in hitting the upright before rolling into the goal in minute 85. As the game ended 4-2 a satisfied coach Donovan Hayles remarked gleefully on the international quality of Jermaine Hue as a player and a leader.
