Harbour View scored a morale-boosting 3-2 victory over league leaders Tivoli Gardens in a heated Digicel Premier League (DPL) contest in which eight yellow cards and two red cards were shown at the Harbour View mini-stadium on Sunday.

However, Tivoli remain atop the league standings despite the loss as the other front-runners Portmore United and Waterhouse also suffered defeats.

Tivoli lead the overall table with 37 points, one more than Portmore, two in front of Waterhouse and three ahead of Boys’ Town, while Portmore lead the second round standings with 19 points, followed by Arnett and Sporting Central on 17 each with two matches to go in the round.

Christopher Harvey opened the scoring from the penalty spot for the hosts after eight minutes, but Roland Dean netted the equaliser in the 32nd minute of play.

Harbour View, however, were lucky when they regained the lead through an own goal in the 33rd and that was followed by John-Ross Edwards’ strike in the 61st minute to give the home team a 3-1 lead.

But Devon Hodges popped up in minute 78 for Tivoli to ensure a tense finish.

Tivoli’s Kemar Flemming was the first to receive marching orders in the bruising contest when he was ejected for violent foul play in the 41st minute, while Harbour View’s Kemeel Wolfe was also shown the red card nine minutes from time when he picked up his second yellow of the evening.

An obviously relieved Harbour View coach, Donovan Hayles, who was winning for the first time in three matches, maintained that his young team is still capable of going all the way.

“It’s not just to win, but the way we win and I think tonight (Sunday) we played some good football… although it was difficult, we were still able to maintain possession under the adverse conditions,” he said.

The home team was indeed the better side for the first half-hour although it only took them eight minutes to get on the scoresheet.

Harbour View got their go-ahead goal when Tivoli defender and captain Kasai Hinds was called for a hand ball inside the box, after he attempted to block Wolfe’s strike. Harvey calmly slotted home the resulting kick from 12 yards.

The ‘Stars of the East’ had another great chance to increase their lead in the 28th minute, but Rafiek Thomas blasted over the crossbar after Jermaine Hue teed up a perfect volley for the striker.

However, Tivoli lifted their game in the last 20 minutes of the half and Dean came close with a header, while Christopher Jackson’s well placed free-kick was saved by Michaud Barrett in the Harbour View goal.

Then in the 32 minute, Dean drew his team level when he latched on to a poor clearance on top of the Harbour View area and smashed a spectacular volley past Barrett.

But a minute later, Harbour View were back in front as Hinds turned Hue’s in-swinging free-kick into his own goal.

Tivoli then suffered another set-back four minutes before the break, when Flemming got his red-card for slapping JR Edwards during a tackle.
With Tivoli pressing for the equaliser, JR Edwards scored a third for Harbour View just past the hour when he picked up the ball just inside his opponents’ half, beat Victor Thompson for pace before slotting past Edsel Scott in goal.

But Hodges cut the lead to 3-2 in the 78th minute when he redirected a Jackson corner at the far-post.

Harbour View then went down to ten men with nine minutes remaining, but despite Tivoli throwing everything forward, the hosts held on for the full points.

Tivoli coach, Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey, said his team has been suffering from bad refereeing decisions of late. “Almost every game we play now the officials call a penalty against us for hand ball, and I feel they should just make the game play,” he lamented.

TEAMS:

Harbour View — Michaud Barrett, Dicoy Williams, Robert Williams, Christopher Harvey, Kemar Lawrence, Richard Edwards, Jermaine Hue (Andre Steele 79th), Kemeel Wolfe, John-Ross Edwards (Kimorlee Brissett 68th), Rafiek Thomas, Lamar Nelson (Nicholas Beckett 86th).
Subs not used: R Muir, K Petrekin, J Richards, D Haughton
Booked: Harvey (54th), R Edwards (66th), Thomas (80th), Wolfe (ejected 81st)

Tivoli Gardens — Edsel Scott, Kemar Flemming, Kasai Hinds, Victor Thompson (Kevin Deerr 68th), Christopher Jackson, Raymond Williamson, Shawn McKoy, Devon Hodges, Navion Boyd (Kwame Richardosn 74th), Roland Dean, Nacwayne Parchment (Damion Gordon 26th).
Subs not used: L Wright, S Green, J Walters, J Thompson, L Gordon
Booked: Hinds (7th), McKoy (16th), Scott (19th), Williamson (62nd), Deerr (92nd), Flemming (ejected 41st)

Referee: Valdin Legister
Assistants: Richard Washington & Dwayne Panton
Match Commissary: Anthony Cooke
— Livingston Scott


Friday, December 17, 2010

PRICE IMPRESSED WITH GRITTY BRIGADE
BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter

AN injury-time goal from Romondo Johnson and a penalty from Renae Lloyd guided Boys’ Town to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Harbour View in Wednesday’s Digicel Premier League feature match of a double-header at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Boys’ Town, who have had to play their recent home matches at nearby Arnett Gardens instead of their usual base at Collie Smith Drive in an attempt to maximise gate revenue, lie fourth on 31 points, while the visitors remain on 27 in sixth place.

Winning coach Andrew Price praised his team’s rearguard action which led to the second-half heroics.

“We haven’t been playing well in the last four games and (it was good) to really put on this type of display, especially in the second half. We went down late in the first half and the team was down, but they came back and showed a lot of character and a lot of fight. To get the goal in injury-time was just the icing on the cake,” he said.

The home team had gone into the break trailing 1-0 after Harbour View’s Jermaine Hue dispossessed Lloyd and played a defence-splitting pass for Rafeik Thomas to finish past goalkeeper Philmore Crumbie in the 30th minute.

Boys’ Town roared back into the game in the 62nd when Lloyd calmly stroked home a penalty after Robert Williams blatantly dragged substitute Dean Morgan to the turf.

Both teams surged forward in search of the winner, but it was Johnson who popped up to finish from point-black range after good work on the right by Marvin Morgan.

Harbour View’s Donovan Hayles said his team failed to execute from a tactical perspective and were left to pay the ultimate price.
“I think we lost the plot in the second half as we started to fall too deep in the midfield. We lost the midfield deep in the second half and Boys’ Town, I think, did well.

“We weren’t defending properly in terms of our depth and we didn’t have that level of maturity at the back. My players got the instructions but they didn’t react well,” Hayles added.

TEAMS:

Boys’ Town — Philmore Crumbie, Xavian Virgo, Wayne Ellis, Marvin Morgan, Michael Campbell, Romondo Johnson, Daemon Benjamin, Joel Williams (Dwayne Forde 77th), Jamiel Hardware (Kenardo Smith 90+2nd), Shane Edwards (Dean Thompson 46th), Renae Lloyd
Subs not used: A Taylor, R Clarke, N Wyatt, J Grant
Booked: None

Harbour View — Michard Barrett, Dicoy Williams, Robert Williams, Kemar Lawrence, Jhamie Hyde (Jaron Richards 36th), Fabian Campbell, Jermaine Hue, Kemeel Wolfe (John-Ross Edwards 80th), Marcelino Blackburn, Rafeik Thomas, Jahmali Spence (Ranique Muir 57th)
Subs not used: D Haughton, K Brissett, N Beckett, A Steele
Booked: Wolfe (30th), Lawrence (39th), Williams (60th), Blackburn (66th), Campbell (74th)

Referee: Wilverglen Lamey
Assistants: Stacey-Ann Greyson, Recordus Wilson
Fourth Official: Oneal Clayton
Match Commissary: Richard Nathan


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

VILLAGE PUNISH WASTEFUL HARBOUR VIEW
BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter

VILLAGE United’s Brazilian coach Neider dos Santos left the Harbour View Mini-stadium a happy man after their 1-0 win over the home team in Sunday’s Digicel Premier League contest.

Dino Williams got the all important goal in the 38th minute to complete back-to-back away successes for Village after their recent victory over Boys’ Town.

Dos Santos said the game was the toughest he has encountered since being in charge, but believes his team held up well against the reigning champions’ second half onslaught.

“It was the toughest game since I’ve taken over the team, but it was good that we started very well in the first half. Then we had a very tough second half and had a lot of problems defending against them. They pressured us a bit in the second half and to get this result is good and tactically it was a great achievement because they have a very good team,” he said.

Kemeel Wolfe, Rafeik Thomas and Ranique Muir were noticeable culprits as the east Kingston-based team missed several straightforward chances. Village’s goalkeeper Kemar Llewelyn made impressive interceptions and also saved a tame penalty kick from substitute Marcelino Blackburn early in the second half.

Harbour View’s Donovan Hayes was visibly frustrated and chastised his team for their wastefulness in front of goal.

“Missed chances was our problem and there’s not much more to add to that. No matter how well we play, if we don’t score any goals I will never be satisfied… this is pathetic. The players need to be more confident and they need to be more prolific in front of goal and that is the simple fact.