Three second half strikes was more than what the St. George’s SC Coach, had bargained for after jumping into an early 1-0 lead after 16 minutes, when Courtney Wilson had stolen a opportunistic goal that seemed to bobbled out of the casual hands of goalkeeper, Carlloyd Walters.
Harbour View up until then were in complete dominance of the game missing more than just a few chances to assume the lead but poor and indifferent finishing from aimless squares and crosses robbed them of any advantage.
This would stir the young “Stars of the East” into greater offensive surges, creating chance after chances but power-kicking replaced simple tap-in’s and youthful enthusiasm proved to be the superior driving force towards success, unfortunately the misguided players, fell into the trap of further errors in haste, making waste.
HALFTIME SCORE:
St. George’s SC 1 HVFC 0.
Frustrated, misguided and nervous they trodded off to the Changing Room as Coach, Harold Thomas along with Assistant, Andrew Hines and Manager, Ludlow Bernard reconstructed the game-plan to professional effect in the second half.
Intently, the Captain and optimum leader, Fabian “Fame” Campbell lead his men first onto the pitch, starring another embarassing Home Game defeat at a crucial point in the League with a mere three points ahead, plus this same Team upsetting them already by the same margin on a rainy day in Portland was still a bitter pill to swallow, and the boys never forgot or were in the mood to indulge a repeat performance at home…not now, not today.
From the kick-off the Portlanders, nervously fumbled as the Homesters stole the ball within the centre-circle within seconds, charging forward with serious intentions as the series of one-two passes unfolded down the centre then Romario Campbell slipped the pass wide the Joel Nicholas whose rasping drive cluttered into the palms of custodian Romers to be deflected for a corner after 53 seconds had elapsed, and the goalkeeper sank to the ground, slamming down on the seat of his pants.
A sign of things to come, revealed itself in a minute as the corner was blocked before once again played inside a Campbell side-footed it into the next after three minutes in the half, to equalize.
Another Campbell free-kick was bundled over the line by Nicholas only to see yet another strange call from Referee, Dave Peterkin, in disallowing the goal for an illusive infringement….minute 64?
The pressure built to a crescendo, as so often the continuous stress lead to in-decision or on this case, the worse or confusion as three eager defenders only got in each others way to concoct the ugliest “own-goal” much to the chagrin of their goalkeeper who was left dumb-founded. Suddenly, 2-1 after 68 minutes.
The bubble was burst, the Georgians could hide no more behind a defensive wall of protecting a lead, they now must open up, be creative not defensive and then out-perform a team now in full cry. This was totally against their plan of action, unprepared for the task the blundered time and again to breach the midfield worse the defense. Seeing the struggle the League leaders once again, stepped on the gas with a clear intention to rev up their engines to full throttle and let it fly.
They went into over-drive, forwards McKauly Tulloch and Jeremy Lynch, were piling on shot after shot, as Nicholas, Campbell, Kimarlee Brissett whizzing down the left flank to cross regularly before missing a Hatrick of goals, “Fame” also had his chance, so too midfield partner, Oniel Fisher.
Finally it was the ongoing surges through the left-side that ended up as goal number three, with Tulloch slamming home from just behind the penalty spot in the 82nd minute to seal the deal.
Frustration would be best represented by the action of one St. George’s player, whose rash challenge on Fisher only earned him a Red Card as his Coach, Morgan was seeing red as well, in his anger of the poor team coordination born out of an attitude of not training and preparing properly for the immense task at hand, that in all honesty they were incapable to dealing with.
3-1 against the Premier League team two nights before has repeated itself at the Under 21 level, with devastating effect and smacks of superiority at the moment.