Harbour View FC registered their third win of the season and, in the process, snapped a three-match losing streak in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL), as they bettered Racing United 3-1 in a lopsided encounter at Stadium East on Sunday.
Anchored by a dynamic brace from veteran striker Andre Fagan (2nd and 18th) and a composed 90+6 penalty finish from Rohan Brown, Harbour View dictated the pace of the game, with a display of their offensive might from start to finish.
Racing United’s consolation was courtesy of Casseam Priestley’s 71st-minute own-goal.
With the win, Harbour View jumped to seventh on 10 points, while Racing United remain 13th on five points.
Winning coach Jason Henry praised his team’s overall performance.
“We wanted to dominate possession because once you have the ball, you can’t get hurt, so once you can keep the ball, that’s good. I just want to thank the guys for this win. We have been creating a lot of chances all season, so it is very pleasing to score three goals and come out with three points,” Henry said in a post-game interview.
It was a brisk start by Harbour View as Fagan opened the scoring when Omar Thompson’s long pass from the back sent him on his way to finish over the head of the advancing Caryle Holmes in goal for Racing United.
That goal set the tone for the game as Harbour View asserted dominance with controlled passing and relentless forward pressure, which showcased the experience and finesse that have come to define the "Stars of the East."
They doubled the lead inside 20 minutes when Fagan met Romario Gibbs’ cross deep in the 18-yard box and easily finished beyond Holmes at his near post.
Fagan should have completed his hat-trick in the 35th as he controlled Matthew Coke’s cross and had space and time to finish, but was hesitant in pulling the trigger and the chance went abegging.
Three minutes later, Gibbs got in behind defenders but his initial effort was blocked by Holmes, while the follow-up shot went wide of the left upright as Harbour View remained 2-0 up at halftime.
Racing United came alive in the second half and looked a more determined and organized side. Their renewed focus led to a good passage of play, from which they went close in the 69th when Romario Palma spilled the ball from a corner kick but Priestley was on hand to mop up the mishap.
However, Priestley went from hero to culprit when he miscued a clearance from Tyrone Mullings’ cross, which resulted in an own-goal as Racing United were rewarded for applying pressure.
However, that was all they would get as Harbour View once again went on the charge and inevitably restored their two-goal cushion in time added when Brown fired home from the 12-yard spot after Diego McKenzie was taken out by Holmes in the danger area.
Racing United’s assistant coach Donovan Lofters rued his team’s lack of communication and organisation, particularly in the first half.
“We were more organised in the second half, and we got one back. We were looking for the equalizer, but it just didn’t happen. So a lack of organization and communication was our downfall. We were too emotional in the first half, but we calmed them down at the break and we came out better in the second half but another lapse in concentration cost us when we were seeking the equaliser,” Lofters said.
Sunday’s results
Dunbeholden FC 2, Chapelton Maroons 0
Portmore United 4, Molynes United 0
Humble Lion 1, Arnett Gardens 2
Harbour View 3, Racing United 1
Tivoli Gardens 1, Cavalier FC 1
It was a triumphant return to top-flight football for Chapelton Maroons and new head coach O’Neil ‘Bigga’ Thompson as they clipped former champions Harbour View 2-1 in their opening Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Complex on Monday.
Javel Ellis (10th) and Nathaniel Howe (63rd) got the job done for the Clarendon-based team, which was relegated from the JPL two seasons ago. Andre Fagan (59th), pulled one back for Harbour View, who are now being guided by Jason ‘Buju’ Henry.
Thompson, who was an assistant at another Clarendon outfit, Humble Lion, expressed delight at his team’s positive start.
“Every team in the Premier League is prepared to win their first game. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. So I feel extremely pleased to start off the season with three points. We will continue to work on the areas we want to improve on. But so far, I am satisfied with the performance of the team,” Thompson said in a post-game interview.
Chapelton, intent on giving a more competitive account of themselves this time around, were more purposeful in the early exchanges, as they applied pressure to Harbour View’s defensive line and were duly rewarded for their efforts.
This, as Ellis capitalise on a goalkeeping error by Harbour View’s Romario Palma with an easy finish from close range.
Seemingly content with their lead, Chapelton gradually took a defensive posture and absorbed pressure from Harbour View, who eventually got into their rhythm, but failed to make it count in the final third as the score remain unchanged at the break.
Like they did at the start, Chapelton were again more spirited on the resumption and created a few half chances, which amounted to nothing.
That allowed Harbour View back into the contest as Fagan expertly headed home from Tahair Lawrence’s cross to pull the ‘Stars of the East’ level.
However, Howe ensured the points went Chapelton’s way when he fired past Palma three minutes past the hour mark.
Try as they did, Harbour View were unable to find the elusive equaliser and, as such, were left to pick up the pieces heading into the second match week, something defender Romaine Brackenridge is confident they will do.
“We are a young unit. Despite the result, the guys came out and tried their best. So we have to improve on this going forward. It’s still early days. We have a long season ahead and we have players still to come in. So the Harbour View you saw today (Monday), you can expect better things going forward,” Brackenridge declared.
Moca FC of the Dominican Republic qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after playing to a 1-1 stalemate with Jamaican side Harbour View in the second leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Third-Place playoff at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday night.
The result earned Moca a 3-2 victory on aggregate and passage to Round One of the 2024 Champions Cup. It is their first Champions Cup qualification.
There was not much in the way of chances in the first 45 minutes. It was not until toward the end of the half that the best looks at goal arrived, and they were both for Moca.
Victor Sanchez was in on goal, but saw his effort denied by Harbour View's goalkeeper Anthony Bennett. That was quickly followed by a swerving, dipping shot from Sebastian Valencia that sliced wide of net.
Harbour View started carving out some chances for themselves in the second half, and Andre Fagan could only shake his head in disbelief after he headed over the crossbar when left unmarked on a corner kick in the 56th.
The "Stars of the East" kept pressing and their efforts bore fruit in the 64th, when a free kick was played deep into the Moca FC area, and Ajuma Johnson arrived at the far post to finish on the volley.
Still requiring another goal due to Moca's away goal tiebreaker, Harbour View pushed for another, but Moca FC had other ideas and quickly evened the contest in the 68th, when a ball from Sebastian Valencia went through a sea of players.
Harbour View doubled down on attack and Moca FC's goalkeeper Odalis Baez was summoned to make a big save in 78th from an Ajeanie Talbott effort.
Harbour View’s last push came in the waning seconds, and a mad scramble in front of goal saw a shot ring off the crossbar, before eventually being cleared by Moca's defence, as they were resolute in holding on to their aggregate advantage.
While Humble Lion’s Head coach Andrew Price and his Harbour View counterpart Ludlow Bernard welcomed the point from their 2-2 stalemate, both rued the manner in which their respective teams conceded in a lively Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) encounter at Sabina Park on Monday.
In fact, if the disgust expressed by both coaches is anything to go by, then their teams should be defensively on point for the remainder of the season.
Shaqueil Bradford gave Harbour View a 22nd minute lead, but Jardel Williams (25th) and captain Andrew Vanzie (35th) responded for Humble Lion, before veteran Andre Fagan (52nd) salvaged a point for Bernard’s side.
With the point, Humble Lion, who remain unbeaten after three games, inched up to five points in sixth position, while Harbour View are 11th on two points.
Price was firm about what will be required of his team going forward.
“We are short some players because of injuries, but we have people that have to go out there and do the work because we have to stop conceding those goals. The manner in which we conceded, especially the equalizing goal, I am unhappy about it and the team will tell you I don’t have a lot of time for that (sloppy defending). But we take the point, it is better than a loss, but we will correct things and get ready for our next game,” he said in a post-match interview.
Bernard was also adamant that he will not accept any more sub-par defending from his team.
“We need to stop conceding unnecessarily. I think that the efforts we made to go ahead were two good build-up plays, but whenever we give up goals like these, it is a cause for concern, and I think that my defenders need to do better at the back of the pitch and give attackers a chance. Because I know that we will score goals, but we need to stop conceding and it is getting out of hand right now. But we will take the point,” Bernard noted.
The contest started at a decent tempo, as Harbour View grabbed the ascendancy with a few chances in the early exchanges, particularly through Bradford, who inevitably found the target.
Fresh from his senior Reggae Boyz outing in a Friendly International against Guatemala last Saturday, Bradford was on hand to finish rebound with aplomb after Omar Thompson’s initial shot came off the crossbar.
However, Harbour View’s celebrations were short-lived, as their Clarendon-based opponents replied soon after Xavian Virgo’s cross found Williams, who fired excellent right-footed effort past goalkeeper Anthony Bennett at his near post.
Vanzie then put Humble Lion ahead 10 minutes later when he finished off a good team build up with a firm left-footer from just outside the 18-yard box.
Harbour View’s press for the equalizer, forced Humble Lion into a defensive posture and they went close to pulling level from a set play, but Prince Daniel-Johnson did well to keep out Okeemo Jones’s well-taken freekick to ensure Humble Lion remained 2-1 up at the break.
The “Stars of the East” were back on level terms five minutes into the resumption courtesy of Fagan, who rose above defenders to finish a thumping header from Odorland Harding’s weighted cross.
Both teams had a few half chances from which they could have notched the winner, had it not been for a lack of composure.
Humble Lion had the first in the 70th minute through Afiba Chambers, who turned his marker, but dragged a right-footer just wide of the upright.
Four minutes later, Bradford did well to get in between two defenders on his way towards goal, but unselfishly went for a pass instead of the shot and the opportunity went abegging.
Price also chided his team for their lack of conviction in the final third, particularly in the second half.
“I think we didn’t play the way we played the first half when we were more intense and aggressive. We came down a little bit low and when our energy level dropped, we brought Harbour View back into the game. But despite that, I thought we had some very good looks in the second half when we should have really taken the game,” he said in his assessment.
“We got two chances in the penalty box and with a little bit more composure, we should have put away those chances. All in all, I think it is a fair result, but we are going to have to continue work hard because we have to be consistent and we are going to have to keep our energy levels high for 90 plus minutes,” Price added.
Meanwhile, Bernard felt his team failed to match the aggression of their opponents.
“The sorry thing about it is that nobody is putting their hands up everybody is pointing the blame elsewhere. I think that we need to be a little bit more aggressive, if we had some of the grit that Humble Lion got this would have been a clean sheet here. I am pleased with the fact that my forwards are getting into position, probably Bradford could have played another one in to David Reid and we probably would have had the win,” Bernard reasoned.
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