By Daraine Luton, Staff ReporterHARBOUR VIEW Football Club carved out a 3-2 victory over Trelawny-based Village United, in Wray and Nephew National Premier action at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday.
The "Stars of the East" had to come from behind and eke out a late goal to get a much needed three points. Gregory Simpson (5th minute) and Teofore Bennett (66th minute), gave the visiting team hopes of winning, but a double strike from Fabian Taylor (15th and 35th minutes) and one from Daniel Shaw (86th minute) put that to rest.
Village were sitting pretty after five minutes when Simpson found the back of Leon Gordon's net. However, Harbour View were in no mood to be beaten on their home ground.
Their little midfield maestro Jermaine Hue was brought down about 40 yards from goal in the 15th minute. Caught backtracking, thinking that Hue would spot the ball for one of his famous left-footers, the Village defenders failed to react to a quick pass down the left flank to captain Damion Stewart.
Stewart passed to the ever dangerous Taylor lurking in the box and he made no mistake.
Jomo Gordon provided the second goal for Harbour View. In the 35th minute, he dribbled down the right flank, took on two defenders before passing to a sharp-looking Taylor who broke away from his markers and tapped past Donovan Ricketts in the Village goal.
After the resumption the home team had a numerous chances to extend their lead. On one of these occasions the active Robert Scarlett raced down the left flank and crossed to the Nicholas McCreath whose shot ended up at its point of departure - Scarlett's feet.
Scarlett then fed Hue, who in turn tried to chip the imposing Ricketts
but his shot was easily handled.
Harbour View saw their lead wiped out in the 66th minute, after Bennett netted to bring the visitors level. Shane Crawford provided a lovely pass from the left side of the field to Bennett who picked his spot and cracked past a flying Gordon.
A series of passes from Harbour View and a measured strike from midfielder Shaw killed off Village.
Though picking up a win, Harbour View's coach Donovan Hayles was far from pleased.
"I am very disappointed because I think we are four goals better than this Village team, but we made a mountain of it," said Hayles.
Hayles felt that his team should have had the game sewn up in the first half but "played around in front of goal".
In an understanding note the former Jamaica goalkeeper said his players could have been tired following their participation in the CFU club championship in Trinidad and Tobago.
"We are coming off a hectic trip and we expected that they have travelled a long way. The players are a bit fatigued but I still think it could have been much easier," Hayles added.
Village's Marvin Tate blamed lack of concentration for the loss.
"I think we lost our game plan after the first goal. It was indiscipline on the part of the players that cost us the game.
"Hopefully as we go along we will try to have the players concentrate on their game plan and not necessarily what they want to do," said Tate who revealed that the players did not work to plan."
