WATERHOUSE 1-0
Back to back Championship honours finally bestowed on the “Stars of the East”! A final that promised everything before the start lived up to its billing as both teams traded high quality football tactics as Harbour View’s more technical execution with a variation of long and short ball movement created dislocation throughout the opponents camp for the first 45 minutes.
In that time a Richard Edwards overhead pass to striker Kavin Bryan saw the imaginative forward twist and turn outside the penalty box and after evading the defensive line to dummy the advancing goalkeeper Maurice Evans and tip the ball past him to score after 26 minutes and credited himself as the newly selected national player with scoring the winning goal .
The second half was twice as intense as both teams went in search of a decisive goal at both ends with the pace of the game accelerated, tackles flying and fans jubilant the game reached fever pitch after 64 minutes when Captain, Christopher Harvey was cautioned for a sliding tackle.
He asked the referee about the infringement as teammate Jermaine Hue commented unfavourably before Referee Salisman sent Hue off instantly for “ungentlemanly conduct”. Questioning the officials the game was delayed temporarily as two bottles were thrown onto the pitch. Hue departed as the play was unfortunately restarted too quickly, as the referee’s back was turned even before Hue had reached some ten yards from the edge of the pitch.
The battle continued as more Waterhouse players were deployed going forward in search of an equalizer as the ten man Harbour View stood resolute in defense and satisfied to counter-attack behind attacking goalscorier, forward Kavin Bryan. After a unruly outburst by Waterhouse supporters to Assistant Referees, Malachi Brown’s signaling a Damion Powell goalscoring effort had been denied after captain, Irvino English was adjudged to be in an offside position and interfering with play by impeding goalkeeper Dwayne Miller from going for the ball by jumping in front of him at the crucial moment.
The game was stopped for a prolonged period of time as the supporters threw bottles and stones continually as the security officers, club officials, KSAFA President and game officials tried to calm the angry crowd and restart the game on two separate occasions only to be further challenged until the referees called off the game some 25 minutes later.
Further scuffles ensued outside the venue as gunshots were heard in the distance. KSAFA held its Disciplinary hearing the day after and ruled that the Waterhouse FC should be fined $75,000 and play the remaining 15 minutes without spectators at the Tivoli Gardens stadium four days later.
However dissatisfied Waterhouse officials never accepted the ruling and challenged its validity at the higher level with the JFF Board of Appeals only to be rebuffed immediately, as the superior administrators upheld the KSAFA inflicted sanction against Waterhouse of @75,000 and awarded the game immediately to 1-0 leaders Harbour View without any further play.
The “WESTERN UNION/KSAFA Jackie Bell Knockout” presentation takes place at the Alambra Inn on Thursday, March 6th 2008 at 7pm.