Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer 
CARLINGTON WILMOT/ FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER - Newland's midfielder Jeffery Jones (right) and Salt Spriing's Kenyata Hill jostle for the ball during action from Wednesday's Red Stripe Champions Cup return match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval. Jones opened.
SUPER LEAGUE team Holland Football Club of St Elizabeth advanced 2-0 on aggregate to the second round of the Red Stripe Champions Cup Knock Out competition, holding their nerves to end 0-0 with National Premier League team Invaders of Trelawny at Elliston Wakeland Centre yesterday. Holland had won the first leg 2-0 in St Elizabeth.
Other teams advancing to the second round yesterday were Boys' Town and Wadadah. Boys' Town cruised to a 10-1 aggregate win, beating Straths 3-0 at Frome and Wadadah repeated their 1-0 victory over Brazil, advancing 2-0 on aggregate at Drax Hall.
Looking like a team of reasonable ability, the lesser ranked Holland never looked as if they were out of their League against Invaders. For the first half they looked even more composed than their more accomplished opponents and according to coach Lance Morgan should have been 2-0 up by the end of the half and relaxing.
That was not to be as they found it difficult to hit the back of the net as did their opponents Invaders, who were missing the speedy and exciting Delroy Ellis.
URGENCY AND UNDERSTANDING
Second half action saw Invaders playing with more urgency and understanding but not even that could get them a goal. The usually reliable Sheldon Bryan was set up in the 71st minute in one of, if not the clearest, chances of the game by substitute David Johnson in the six-yard box. In an almost comical fashion, Bryan controlled the ball and allowed the defence to recover before shooting. His shot went wide. Perhaps Bryan who normally scores from distance was too close to the goal.
Four minutes later Johnson himself forced a good save out of Holland goalkeeper Tamar Daley with a good strike.
As the game wound down, Invaders became more and more desperate as the game was now being played largely in the Holland half but Invaders just could not find the back of the net. With seven minutes to go Daley left his goal to collect an air ball but missed. This created an opportunity for Ricardo Geddes who headed goalwards where two defenders in an awkward fashion managed to keep the ball from crossing the line.
Invaders were to have one final chance in the 87th minute when Roxroy Hardy dribbled all the way out of defence and passed to Johnson who had a an opportunity to shoot from the edge of the 18-yard box. He chose not and opted to dribble forward, beat a defender, narrow his angle and wasted the opportunity.
LOVELY CROSS
Holland could have knocked the fight out of Invaders from as early as the 69th minute when a lovely cross from the left flank by Kevin Clarke intended for Kadian Flemmings was bravely headed clear by Raphael Galloway.
" I feel excited knowing that it was a Premier League team that we defeated. We had 2-0 advantage from our home last week and we defended it away so that was good. Also it is history for St Elizabeth as we are the first team from the parish to defeat an NPL team," a delighted Morgan said at the end of the game.
Robert Woolcock who filled in as coach in the absence of Cassman Williams said lack of concentration and failure to score cost his team. "I will say that the performance was not bad. You saw that we had a number of chances to put the ball in the back of the net but the players failed to do that because of a lack of concentration," he said.
Woolcock also praised Holland for their performance. "I wish Holland all the best. It does not matter what anyone wants to say they won the first leg and came here today and stood up."
