Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
Harbour View's Loxley Thomas (No. 27) kicks the ball while bracing for a challenge from behind by a Village United player during their Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match at Harbour View Mini Stadium, yesterday. Harbour View won 2-1. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE HARBOUR View train atop the Wray and Nephew National Premier League continued to roll, after they came from behind to hand Village a 2-1 defeat at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday.
Village inched ahead as early as the fourth minute after Newton Sterling's header.
However, Harbour View did not take long to recover, with Nicholas Dodd getting unto the scoresheet in the 16th minute.
Harbour View then had to wait until the 78th minute before they could claim the win with substitute Richard West's strike.
The victory for the 'Stars of the East' meant that they maintained their 13-point lead on the Premier League field with 48 points. Waterhouse are second with 35.
Harbour View started very slowly and early in the game it was clear that the tall, slender Sterling would have caused trouble.
In the air he had no match and Village did well to find him with long searching balls from their back four.
Harbour View did little in the way of coping and it was no surprise when he turned up to head home a Nicardo Folkes cross that came after the right back had picked the pocket of Harbour View's Ricardo Smith to storm down the flank.
Harbour View though, must have the gods on their side as they got back into the game without showing any real superiority.
Dodd picked up a ball on the right side and with time and space tried a cross that inexplicably ended in the back of the net off the inside of the far post.
At 1-1, Village suffered a massive blow to their attack route, as a clash between the hard-tackling Richard Edwards and Sterling ended with both players heading to an early shower.
"I'm not pleased with the run of play and the way we performed in terms of the football but what this is showing me is that this team has the character to win all the time," commented Harbour View coach Donovan Hayles.
Eventually, it was a cross from Dodd that brought the winner.
The cross found Luton Shelton, whose header was parried by Village goalie Elvis Hart. The partial block, to the dismay of the Village faithful, was stabbed home by the fast approaching West.
"I think it was a well-played game by both teams and it is just unfortunate that we came out on the losing end," Village's coach Dr.. Deam Weatherly said.
GOALSHEET
Harbour View 2
Nicholas Dodd, 16th - Richard West, 78th
Village 1
Newton Sterling, 4th
