Lovel Palmer was ejected from the game after 68 minutes causing added pressure to the visiting Harbour View team which exhibited composure and calm away from home to maintain the advantage through ball possession in the first stanza of the Digicel Premier League top of the table encounter.
The earliest launch into hostile territory was in the fifth minute as wingback Lance Laing delicately lobbed a 20 yards pass into the path of the running Marcelino Blackburn inside the left-side of the Tivoli Gardens penalty box.
His left-footed slap-shot sailed over the goal and into the billboard behind it as Blackburn rued his missed effort fro 16 yards out with goalkeeper Leon Gordon standing firmly in his acquired shot stopping position.
Five men deployed in the Tivoli midfield to stifle the creativity of the visitors helped to divert the direct attacking lanes and hence play was widespread across the width of the middle third, swinging from side to side about the half-line under a cool afternoon breeze.
Continuous game stopping via infringements thus became the order of the day, hence Referee Raymond Bogle took centre stage under pressure from the always demanding, vociferous but jovial Tivoli Gardens die-hards.
Bogle, in this instant was found wanting on numerous occasions in less than perfect circumstances, he immediately ruled in favour of the homesters with alarming frequency to the extent where custodian Dwayne Miller, who was having an excellent game was called for an infringement of holding the ball for too long, even as he bounced the ball before releasing it up field?
It was going to be one of those long days full of unfair ruling that every Harbour View supporter, player and officials has come to know all too well over the years when playing in the western belt of Kingston…you are simply on your own unprotected, buckle down and hold on for a bumpy ride but be on your best behaviour, always!
Lovel’s temper got the better of him under duress he exploded and was dismissed from the field, the others soldered on to achieve the valuable away point as Miller was in outstanding form executing some five magnificent saves to shots from distance as the defenders close ranks as well.
Navion Boyd was the main architect of pumping shots goalwards assisted by Craig Stewart as the response for “The Stars of the East” was lead by Blackburn.
With the clock ticking down Marcelino darted away from his two obstacles in defence to open up space inside the area as Gordon checked his advance, always mindful of giving him a glimmer of the goal not a clear option. Lured into the trap Blackburn tried to sneak it behind Gordon at the near post only to succeed in hitting the side-netting as the gapping space in front of goal yearned and a screaming Kemeel Wolfe arrived later at the far post, rueing the opportunity to steal the victory with three minutes left on the clock.
An afternoon when goal-scoring was at a premium, neither top team was good enough to convert and so the tables remained as it were for the top four clubs at the season’s halfway mark.
Portmore United 39
Harbour View FC 38
Boy’s Town FC 35
Tivoli Gardens FC 35