Defending champions Harbour View blasted their way out of a patch of dismal form with an impressive 3-0 win over Sporting Central Academy in the Cash Plus Premier League, at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.
The win was the first of the third round for the Stars of the East, who failed to secure maximum points in their first three games of the round, which included two home losses to St Georges and Village. They now have 37 points, while Sporting slipped into the relegation zone - second from bottom - by remaining on 26.
A scoreless first half had seen Sporting have a few opportunities to take the lead. Hughan Gray squandered an easy effort from point blank range and then saw Harbour View custodian Dwayne Miller punch away a looping long range effort in the 31st minute.
However, it was the Stars of the East who marched out of the changing room the more determined team at half-time. Kemeel Wolfe brought relief to the nervous home fans when he netted from close range in the 51st minute. After knifing into the area a rasping shot by striker Rafiek Thomas had forced Sporting Central custodian Erron Brown to parry away the ball at full stretch, but that provided easy pickings for an unmarked Wolfe sprinting into the area.
NO PROBLEM
Four minutes later it was Wolfe who turned provider when he darted down the right flank to whip the ball into the area at the feet of Thomas. The striker had no problem toeing the ball around keeper Brown for Harbour View's second goal. A one-time effort fired to goal by substitute Lovel Palmer, who was played into the area by a defence splitting through ball from Thomas, finished the game in fine style for Harbour View with one minute to full time.
"The finishing was very good for us today and it was good to get as many as three goals," said a content Lenworth Hyde Sr, coach of Harbour View. "We didn't create enough chances in the first half but we did in the second and we were finding the players in the best position to score."
Sporting Central coach Christopher Dawes believes poor finishing was his team's major problem.
"We should have scored at least two or three goals in the first half but we came out a bit flat in the second," he said. "We are a young team and we have been making some schoolboy mistakes, whenever you get chances to score and you don't you'll always lose the game eventually."
Harbour View
3
Kemeel Wolfe 51st, Rafiek Thomas 54th, Lovel Palmer 89th
