By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Arnett Gardens midfielder Fabian Davis (right) controls and turns away from Harbour View's Donald Stewart. Davis scored for Arnett Gardens who defeated Harbour View 4-2 in the second leg of the NPL semi-finals as the team advanced to the finals 5-4 on aggregate. - Dennis Coke /Staff Photographer
THE FORM book in the Craven A National Premier League was validated yesterday as the top two teams at the end of three rounds advanced to the finals.
Arnett Gardens showed tremendous character, fighting their way back from a two-goal deficit, to beat Harbour View 4-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate while it took a 118th minute sudden death extra-time goal from Wolry Wolfe to put Hazard in the final.
After a first half which neither team would want to remember, the Arnett Gardens/Harbour View game took a turn for the better in the second half. Neither team managed to play with any fluency as both teams focussed their attack on one wing. Harbour View on the left and Arnett on the right. Neither of them used the width of the field.
Harbour View's plan, which was revealed early, was to defend their one goal advantage and they played with just one man forward - Fabian Taylor. Arnett Gardens made it clear they meant business as they started an attacking team and reinforced their defence with Oneil Dunn who stuck to Taylor like glue.
Clifton Waugh had the small but vociferous Harbour View fans in a frenzy in the 52nd minute when his free kick from about 22 yards took a deflection and went into Julian Mcleish's net. Soon after, Arnett Gardens made two attacking changes introducing Denton Shedden and Kwame Richardson for Kevin Eldemire and Gregory Messam.
The changes worked. In the 67th minute, persistent attacks bore fruit as Walter Boyd bundled home a ball which rebounded from a Kevin Wilson shot. Eight minutes later it was 2-0 as Damion Stewart fouled Boyd about five yards outside the box. Wilson curled home a lovely freekick to even the score on aggregate.
What looked like the killer goal came in the 79th minute from Jonathan Williams. Harbour View hit back in the first minute of time added on as Baris Johnson headed home a cross from Damion Stewart.
Just when the game appeared to be heading into penalties Fabian Davis fired a speculative shot on goal. The shot hit the fingertips of goalkeeper Leon Gordon and went into the back of the net.
The second game was like almost an anti-climax and was marked by a number of stoppages due to injuries. Both teams appeared evenly matched and even though Dwayne Richards had at least three sniffs at goal, the result seemed to be another 0-0 draw.
That was the case until extra time when Wolfe pounced on a headed clearance drifted to his left. He fired a shot which took a bounce before going to the goalkeeper and rode on him.
