Substitute Fabian Taylor actually smiled this time, as he outfoxed the brilliant Wadadah goalkeeper, Gavin Barrett in the 90th minute to earn a nail-biting victory over Wadadah in island’s western coastal town of Trelawny at the Village United Complex, where the team travelled and snatched victory only four days prior.
Entering the field in the 63rd minutes the experienced striker Taylor got into the game immediately combining with in-form striker, Kavin Bryan and partnering midfielder Kemeel Wolfe before taking up the lone striker’s position when Bryan was substituted twelve minutes later.
With time running out captain, Lovel Palmer shunted to team-mate Kemar Petrekin resulting in a slick pass from the other sub, as Fabian calmly turned his marker to his left before squeezing of the most delicate slice inside the far right upright to streak to the corner flag in exaltation, as the entire team erupted in a frenzy.
The bench went completely wild, as the larger than usual throng of travelling Harbour View supporters who made the over 100 miles trek into the west, jumped for joy all around the ground. Moments later they invaded the field as the referee signalled the end just after the kick-off.
The game dominated from the start by the visitors and moreso in the second stanza should have been won on at least five other occasions but good positional goalkeeping and below par finishing on the day delayed that. The team showing better discipline following Gregg Taylor’s rash foul that rightly earned him a red card as early as the eighteenth minute for stomping at a player.
This left the team reeling to survive initially before launching regular attacks while gaining advantage in possession. An understanding of the very difficult bumpy field complicated by a cross-the-field high wind factor from the nearby Caribbean Sea, having played there earlier that week.
40 points leaves both Harbour View and Waterhouse perched at the top of the table as we both clash this Wednesday at the “Stars of the East” home ground at 7pm.
Under 21:
Goals from Michily Waul, Lawrence Smith and young Cleyon Brown distanced the young “Stars of the East” from the woeful Wadadah by 3-0 to stay in contention as the third place team on 22 points, 6 behind the leaders.