By Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter
Harbour View's central defender Damion Stewart makes a sliding challenge on Hazard United's Anthony Modeste in yesterday's JNBS Federation Cup KO final at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex. Harbour View won 1-0. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
MIDFIELD MEASTRO Jermaine Hue scored at the 19th minute to hand Harbour a 1-0 win over Hazard United and their third straight hold on the JNBS Federation Cup, following yesterday's final at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
The very exciting contest went down to the wire with Harbour View's goalkeeper Leon Gordon, practically lame, pulling of a beauty of a save in the 90th minute to deny Roen Nelson who had driven a shot from point blank range.
"I am very happy to be a winner but I don't think Hazard have any reason to be disappointed," said Donovan 'DV' Hayles, coach of the champion team.
"We played to our standard of football and we maintained a good first half. The Hazard team is a quality team and what they did in the second half is no surprise to me. They were not going to sit down and die."
Hayles is already looking forward to next year.
"We want to make it our own again," he told The Gleaner.
DISAPPOINTED
Hyde, though disappointed, was gracious in defeat.
"I lift my hat up to them. I am a bit disappointed in how we played," Hyde said.
The Hazard coach said Hue's early goal hit the wind out of them. "I think we lost the game from the first half. It is tough when you are trying to peg back a one goal."
He is also of the opinion that Harbour View's custodian made the difference.
"I think we got a lot of chances but I must lift my hat to the goalkeeper, Leon, he is the man on the match today."
Apart from the hat-trick of successes, victory meant the defending champions were able to register their fifth overall success in the national football knockout championship.
RETIRED TROPHY
They had retired the old trophy and having gone a step closer to doing the same with the new one, they also earned $500,000 as cash award for yesterday's crowning achievement.
Playing against the current Premier League leaders Hazard United, Harbour View played a very spirited first half. In fact, with just sixth minute gone, Hue latched onto a pass from Dino Williams and rifled at goal but Hazard's custodian Shawn Sawyers was equal to the task.
Two minutes later, Daniel Shaw drove hard at goal from just about 25 yards but his effort went about two inches to high.
Harbour View's striker Fabian Taylor made a few daunting runs towards goal and threatened to take the Hazard's backline apart. However, Claude Davis had other ideas. In the 13th minute, he clobbered Taylor at the ankle, a blow which seemed to have slowed up the striker. For his effort, Davis was decked a yellow card by referee Raymond Pine.
SCORING CHANCE
The first half never went without scoring opportunity for Hazard though. Two minutes before the interval, Nelson headed at goal from a Wolry Wolfe cross which was just tipped over by Gordon.
Lenworth Hyde's team played the second half as if they intended to rescue the trophy and the half-a-million dollars on offer. They took control of midfield and carried the attack to Harbour View. The Portmore side actually managed to find the back of the net in the 61st minute through Kevin Deerr, but he was miles offside and it did not count.
A minute later, Anthony Modeste was seconds late in his reaction as a ball played for him was toed away by stopper Damion Stewart.
