Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Fresh from their success in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship, Premier League champions Harbour View are eager to keep the silverware flowing into their coffers for the rest of this season.

On Friday, the Stars of the East battled their way from an early 0-1 deficit to eventually triumph 2-1 against Trinidad and Tobago's Joe Public FC at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.

The title marked the second Caribbean success for the Harbour View team since 2004, when they had beaten local outfit Tivoli Gardens in an all-Jamaica final.

"This is a great feeling for us. We have been training since July and the hard work is really paying off. Right now we have a core of senior players that know the job at hand and work assiduously to achieve our goals," said Harbour View coach Lenworth Hyde.

He also rated the win as a definite confidence booster for the team, who will be seeking to successfully defend the local title, after breaking a six-year drought last season.

"We are definitely feeling good, confidence-wise, but we know it won't be easy in the premier league. The teams here are playing well, but we are focused on our goal of retaining the title," he said.

Harbour View already have one local title under their belt following triumph in the President's Cup earlier this season.

Bigger things happening

Friday's win saw the Stars of the East book their spot in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup where they will join defending champion Pachuca CF, and the winner of the Mexican Apertura, D.C. United and Houston Dynamo along with CD Motagua of Honduras, Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa and Alajuelense of Guatemala.

"The Championships are certainly going to be a bigger stage of football, we will be running into a couple of very tough teams," said Hyde.

"We are really looking forward to the challenge though and we will be looking to make Jamaica proud," he added.

In Friday's game, Harbour View top marksmen Fabian Taylor (21st) and Kavin Bryan (22nd) scored within a minute of each other to erase Kerry Baptiste's 16th minute strike.

Despite losing defender Christopher Harvey who was given a red card 10 minutes into the second half, Harbour View were able to hold on for the title.