Harbour View FC gained their first hold on the Sherwin Williams/Women’s Premier League title when they defeated former champions and arch-rivals Portmore Strikers, 4-1, for a 5-2 aggregate win at the Waterhouse mini-stadium yesterday.
National midfielder Kimmia Parker (21st & 87th) bagged a double for the ‘Stars of the East’, with Nicola Bell (13th) and Shanique Mitchell (63rd) getting the other goals for the winners.
Substitute Tekamie Jolly netted Portmore’s consolation in the 73rd minute.
Earlier, in the ‘A’ League final, Meadhaven overturned their 1-2 deficit against Olympic Gardens, to win the second-leg game 3-1 for a 4-3 aggregate result.
The Vin Blaine-coached Harbour View were excellent throughout the match and could have won by a larger margin.
As early as the fifth minute, Mitchell was picked out by Peta-Gaye Soman at the far post, but she headed over the bar from close range.
Minutes later, she broke loose but was denied by goalkeeper Peatria Campbell.
In the 12th minute, Parker broke away but shot over the bar from the edge of the area. However, Bell won possession from the resulting spot kick and dribbled through the Portmore defence before shotting past Campbell in goal.
Eight minutes later, Parker made it 2-0 when she hit a superb left-footed volley past Campbell, following a good build-up.
Portmore’s attack was nullified for most of the half, and despite consistently getting into the area, did not create any real goal-scoring chance.
But they did come out with a lot of purpose in the second half, and Tashawna Vincent had two good opportunities, but could not make them count.
A minute later, Vincent muffed her second chance and Mitchell made it 3-0 when she latch onto a clinical pass from Bell, weaved through three defenders and fired home.
Portmore pulled a goal back 10 minutes later when goalkeeper Paula Jackson spilled Iesha Mowatt’s cross and Jolly was on hand to tuck away the opportunity from three yards.
In the closing 15 minutes, Harbour View wasted a number of easy chances to increase their tally, with Mitchell being the main culprit.
However, with three minutes to go Parker made it 4-1 when she beat the offside trap and calmly slotted past Campbell from the edge of the box.
After four finals, winning coach Vin Blaine said this success was “long overdue”.
“We have never capitalised on our early chances against them, but today we scored early and put them on the backfoot,” he said.
“But we should have put away the game from last week and today we should have gone into the second half leading by three or four goals,” he added.
Portmore’s coach Cornell Clarke said too many of his players performed poorly in the game.
“I did not expect such a bad game from them, and when they needed to lift their game it just did not happen,” he said.
Managing director of sponsors Sherwin Williams, Ian Forbes, said his company was pleased with the standard of play and progress of the league, and hoped to spread the game to all 14 parishes. He also hinted that there would be an increase in sponsorship next season.
“Every year we hope to improve things and next year I’m certain that the clubs and the Federation will be pleased with what we have to offer,” he said.