Forget the scoreline, forget the result, title and even the Trophy if you can wrap your mind around it.
Join in another scintillating moment in Jamaica’s football history that only Harbour View seems to create these breath-taking thrillers, year in and year out!
Waterhouse started out what turned out to be a nightmarish Comedy of defensive errors in minute seven when experienced turned back a blind pass intended for his isolated custodian only to be intercepted by the wily Richard West. West in turn relayed across the face of the empty goal for the alert Marcelino Blackburn to tap home for the 1-0 lead.
One bad mistakes it seems deserve another, as goalkeeper Leighton Murray out did his opponents after winning the ball strangely let in run through his leg in an effort to dive behind him to collect. You guess it, he lost control of the ball as Jomo Gordon helped to embarrass him by slotting the loose ball into an empty net much to the annoyance of every Harbour View supporter. Three minutes later the now confident Gordon out ran the defence to fire home inside the far post and grab the lead as Waterhouse fans went wild.
Just when it seemed the half had gone to Waterhouse then is when the game had just begun.
Harbour View’s resilience surfaced once more in minute 33 when a Nicholas Dodd freekick from the right was experty headed away from everyone on the line by the towering leftback Gregory Simpson to equalise at 2-2. The crowd couldn’t believe the four goal blitz just after the first half hour as they erupted in joy. They sat questioning the goalfeast among themselves when lighting struck.
Gregory Simpson won the ball in the centre circle, touched the ball gently forward, then without warning launched a torrid scud-like missile goalwards at lighting speed. Two midfielders jumped, i am not sure if towards or away from the bomb, the goalkeepers dives full-stretch to his left in a vain attempt to get near a goal scored from the moment it left the foot of Simpson from 41 yards out, only the net was good enough to touch it because of been placed their firmly before the start of the game.
Surely this is another contender for goal of the season, following his similar drive against Seba and that of teammate Donald Stewart in like manner against Arnett Gardens.
Back to the game, Harbour View snatches the lead again as both teams continue trading attacks up to minute 87 when Waterhouse wins a 24 yards away freekick on the rightside outside the penalty area. Mystified no defensive wall is setup by the goalkeeper. Guess what, a hurried clearance by a scrambling defender succeeds in playing the ball gently in the path of the lethal Jomo Gordon for him to register a hatrick into an open goal.
The goalkeeper lays prostrate on the ground, after his diving effort along with a crowd of players to stop the initial shot. We go to extra time with the game locked at 3-3.
EXTRA TIME EXPLODES:
Well there was still more drama left in the script.
All of Waterhouse three substitutes were dispatch in a frenzy just ten minutes into the second half in what seemed a last ditch effort to salvage a result with the strongest Waterhouse contingent against a largely second string Harbour View unit that came to play all night. Harbour View introduced their subs on a timely basis seemingly measured in their approach for the long haul as Fabian Taylor returning from 10 months of injury made way after an impressive 72 minutes, goal terrorist Simpson replaced dehydrated and suffering from cramps than at the last five minutes Leon Strickland was introduced to test tiring legs.
Strickland pounced an a well weighted Loxely Thomas pass after he had demolished the midfield to dissect the defence expertly and Leon to guide away from the advancing goalkeeper. With three minutes on the clock, the Harbour View supporters said yes, finally we snatched it. Not so soon, said Waterhouse, jumping up after a aimless long ball was played goalwards that goalkeeper Murray seemed to have firmly in his grasp.
Only to back pedal in an un-appropriate “moment of madness”, letting in the alert Vincent Earle to deflect it into the empty goal and sent the game into penalty kicks in time added on.
Colourful descriptive words punctuated the air overhead of the hot-headed Harbour View supporters, football lovers smiled in utter disbelief at the bonanza and the “Firehouse Crew” chanted victory cries blessed by their unexpected joy laced with gifts aplenty from the most unlikely source, their consistent opponents.
PENALTIES:
Harbour View Players, Coaching Staff and Management now besides themselves dragged towards the kicks in a state of disbelief still shocked by the events recently passed and clearly not in a state of readiness for anything else on the night bushed the penalties as Waterhouse reigned triumphant by 4-1 on penalties, lifting the title.