Defending champions Harbour View, on the back of fantastic goalkeeping from the much maligned Michaud Barrett, clinical finishing from their strikers and loose defending by Boys’ Town, slammed the Red Brigade 5-1 in the Digicel Premier League, at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium on Wednesday evening. It is the biggest margin of victory for the season so far.
Jermaine Hue, in his first start for the season, scored twice – in the 14th and 56th minutes – with John-Ross Edwards (47th), Rafeik Thomas (78th) and Marcelino Blackburn also finding the back of the net. Renae Lloyd registered Boys’ Town’s lone goal in the 72nd minute.
Boys’ Town dominated early, but it was Harbour View who went ahead in the 14th minute. An ill-advised foul by Dameon Benjamin on Andre Fagan outside the 18-yard box was all that Jermaine Hue needed. From 22-yards, out he curled in an unstoppable left-footer into the top right hand corner of the net.
Boys Town responded immediately and earned themselves a free kick from 30-yards out which Xavian Virgo blasted high. Barrett would show his class in the 23rd minute, when with cat-like reflexes, he moved to his left to parry a solid blast by Shane Edwards from just inside the 18-yard box, after Marvin Morgan had picked Montrose Phinn’s pocket around the 18-yard box.
Seven minutes later, Boys’ Town would again fail to find the back of the net, when captain Michael Campbell headed a corner back across the goal to Edwards who headed over from six yards, with his back to goal.
Quick second-half goal
Harbour View struck quickly in the second half through the hard-running and trigger-happy John-Ross Edwards. With both central defenders Anthowe Dawkins and Asrick Samuels focusing on the very physical Jahmali Spence, they lost sight of the ball and Edwards blasted home with glee from just inside the 18-yard box.
With Hue’s second goal, courtesy of a delightful pass from Spence on the right flank, which was rammed into the top left hand corner, the fight left Boys’ Town.
Lloyd’s goal came from the penalty spot, as he was hacked down by Dicoy Williams as he tried to turn home a rebound from Bennett’s shot which had struck the left upright.
It was all too late, after Thomas capitalised on the confusion in the Boys’ Town defence to head home a Hue free kick and Blackburn guided home the fifth after substitute Kemeel Wolfe’s effort was blocked by goalkeeper Kirk Porter.
At the end, both coaches were left reflecting on what could have been.
“To be honest with you, I have to look at the football very objectively. In the first 45 minutes we could have easily been down 0-4 to this Boys’ Town team, they created a lot of chances.
“Their attack was giving us a lot of problems and putting us on the back foot and I have always stressed that a good goalkeeper is 90 per cent of your team, and it showed tonight,” said Harbour View’s Donovan Hayles.
Boys’ Town’s Andrew Price would have been happy with better defending and finishing from his charges.
“I think defensively, we weren’t aware, and against a good team like Harbour View, if you don’t play well defensively, you are going to pay, and I think they really gave us a good schooling. It is a wake-up call to our team,” Price said.