By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
VILLAGE dealt Harbour View's semi-final quest a blow yesterday after they upset the former champions 1-0 at the Elleston-Wakeland Community Centre in Falmouth.
Teofore Bennett continued his torrid goal scoring form as he scored the game's only goal in the 66th minute as the Geoffrey Maxwell-coached team won their third in a row and extend their unbeaten run to six games. The goal was Bennett's fifth in three games but only his sixth for the entire season.
The loss left Harbour View's coach Peter Cargill fuming as he said he thought his team dominated the game but lost it to Village who got just one chance the entire game.
While conceding the game for the most part and in particular the last 15 minutes was not of the highest standard, Village's coach Maxwell said the result was "a good one."
Maxwell told the Gleaner it was natural for a team that failed to control the game for long periods to get tense and defensive in the end after they took the lead.
He said his charges were getting the hang of things however and hopefully soon they would start playing the way he wants them to.
Both teams started without a number of players who were out due to either injuries or suspensions and the players had a difficult time in the first half battling a strong wind that swept across the field.
Mark Miller had the first real chance for Harbour View. The wind held up a high ball in the 22nd minute leaving Village's goalkeeper Elvis Hart stranded at the near post but Miller's shot was blocked on the second attempt.
Bennett should have opened the scoring in the 35th minute when teenaged Dwayne Cole sent him through with a defence splitting pass. With only Leighton Murray to beat however he hesitated and was dispossessed by the goalkeeper who had charged off his line.
Harbour View had another great chance to score 10 minutes into the second half but Dino Williams who was all alone with Hart, shot wide from just outside the six yards box.
Bennett got the winner 21minutes into the second half and took it with some confidence. He picked up a pass from Garvey Stephens just inside the 18 yards area on the right side and hit it sidefooted between Murray and his near post.
Despite taking over the game and keeping the ball inside the Village area for most of the remainder of the game Harbour View failed to get by Hart. Their best chance came in the 76th minute when Garfield Rennicks who had replaced Williams saw his shot beat the goalkeeper's grasp but was blocked right on the line as the custodian squatted.
Bennett should have doubled his tally for the game in the 83rd minute when he caught Murray in no man's land on a counter-attack. His attempted chip was played too hard however and flew well high over the bar.
