Premier League champions Harbour View and Boys’ Town made light work of Seaview Gardens and August Town, respectively, as Group B action got underway in the Claro KSAFA Champions Cup yesterday.
In the curtain raiser, Harbour View brushed aside Seaview Gardens by a 3-0 margin, while former champions Boys’ Town were too hot for August Town, scoring a 2-1 triumph. Both games were played at the UWI Bowl, Mona.
A Ranique Muir brace (63rd and 67th minutes) and a third from Christopher Harvey, powered Harbour View to their impressive win in the early kick-off.
In the feature game, Boys’ Town survived a late scare to prevail over fellow one-time Premier League campaigners, August Town, through goals from Michael Campbell and Dean Thompson.
Both teams traded blows early in the contest but despite their competitiveness, there were just a few clear chances for either team.
Boys’ Town, who won this competition when it was called the President’s Cup in 2005, began to take control of the game as it progressed and were duly rewarded in the 26th minute, albeit due to a horrendous defensive mistake.
Skipper Michael Campbell was credited with the goal, but it was in fact a gift from August Town goalkeeper, Sheldon Smith, who comically dived over the midfielder’s right-sided free-kick and was beaten at his near post.
Smith was also unconvincing four minutes later when he failed to collect a corner, which was nodded in off the underside of the crossbar by one of the smallest players on the field, Dean Thompson, as Boys’ Town surged to a 2-0 lead.
August Town could find no answer on their own field and almost found themselves 3-0 behind, but Anthony Bennett’s 36th minute volley somehow stayed outside the goal after crashing off the bottom of the crossbar.
The second half saw little difference as Boys’ Town’s possessive play and explosive wide players had a field day with the August Town defenders.
Goal number three almost came in the 55th minute and probably would have come had it not been for a moment of idiocy from Boys’ Town goalkeeper Kirk Porter. Spot kick
After watching his team win a penalty through Bennett, who was brought down in the box by Cordain Palmer, Porter argued with midfielder Renae Lloyd for the right to take the spot kick, before sending it straight on to the crossbar.
His light-hearted reaction after the miss did not seem to impress his disgruntled team-mates.
Mark Grant’s 87th minute strike ensured a nervous final three minutes for Boys’ Town, but in the end it was too little, too late for August Town.
Andrew Price, coach of Boys’ Town is happy with the win and the chance to look at a few players ahead of the Premier League.
“We welcome this competition. It will help us with our preparation going forward. Today was our first outing, there was nothing spectacular but we are a work in progress and I’m pleased,” said Price.
August Town spokesman, Everton Thomas, blamed his team’s lack of fitness for the result.
“We just started training two days ago. The team is just assembling and it showed because they were fitter than us,” said Thomas. “We are hoping to use this competition to look at players and prepare for the upcoming Super League.”