Harbour View looking to go all the way

Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

After leading his team to a 1-0 victory over Rivoli United on Wednesday night, Harbour View Football Club's captain, Lovel Palmer, said they are aiming for the Digicel Premier League crown in this year's competition.

"Our aim is to win back the crown and so far we are showing good form to do so," said Palmer who scored the game's only goal at the 45th minute.

"The team cannot be complacent at this time as we are behind the leaders, plus it is a long competition," Palmer told The Gleaner after his team's triumph, which lifted them to third on 15 points, three behind leaders St Georges Sports Club.

In the match played at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, both teams played attacking football in the early exchanges and Rivoli's Devon Hodges missed a sitter, which his team later regretted.

On the stroke of half-time, Palmer received a pass in the six-yard box and unleashed a ferocious shot that flew into the roof of Rivoli's goal, giving Rivoli's custodian Leon Goffe no chance.

Both teams tried to work themselves into a dominant role in the second half, with Rivoli initially forcing Harbour View's defenders to work overtime to keep them off the scoresheet, before Harbour View picked up their game and claimed the ascendancy by passing the ball around to virtually taking charge of the field of play.

Rough play

In the 60th minute though, Harbour View's Montrose Phinn was ejected by referee Gregory Daley for rough play on Rivoli's Luke Soares.

There was hope among the Rivoli faithful that this would have affected the 10-man Harbour View negatively, but the introduction of former national players Jermaine Hue and Christopher Harvey brought a more tactical approach to the former champions' style of play.

With time ticking away, supporters of Rivoli started to depart the venue, having conceded it was another defeat for their St Catherine team, which remained fourth from bottom on seven points.

"It is unfortunate that we lost the match. However, things are set to change soon as my return to the team will put us in a stronger position in the competition,'' remarked Rivoli's Garfield Reid, who played his first game for the season.