By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Matchwinner Kevin Wilson, right, gets a congratulatory handshake from teammate and fellow goalscorer Fabian Davis while team captain Cornel Chin-Sue has his back to the camera. Arnett Gardens defeated Harbour View 2-1 to win the Wray and Nephew end of first round final. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
A SUDDEN death extra time strike from Kevin Wilson handed defending champions Arnett Gardens a 2-1 victory in the Wray and Nephew end of first round football final at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.
Former national player Fabian Davis put his team in the lead in the 19th minute with a lovely curling freekick which eluded Leeroy Gray in goal for Harbour View. Daniel Shaw responded for Harbour View with a long-ranged strike in the 41st minute.
A happy Arnett Gardens coach Jerome Waite said an important part of his team's victory was containing the Harbour View midfield.
"Jermaine Hue, Daniel Shaw and (Marvin) Morgan had done pretty well (previously) so we knew that we had to contain them," he said at the end of the game.
"We also knew that they had four excellent attacking players in Fabian Taylor, Jomo Gordon, Nicholas McCreath and Dino Williams but I knew that the two changes are the ones which they felt would have made a difference but the team stuck to the task," he continued.
Harbour View's Donovan Hayles was a satisfied man despite his team's loss.
"First of all to lose and you see me smiling like this you can know that I am very satisfied with the performance," said Hayles before adding, "both teams came out and lived up to expectations."
Both teams made it clear early that they had come for two things - to attack and to win. Within the first three minutes their were three saves between the goalkeepers with two of them belonging to Gray.
Jermaine Hue and Daniel Shaw quickly went about their business but captain Cornel Chin-Sue and Fabian Davis took turns closing them down. Morgan and Sean Fraser also looked good particularly Fraser who was in an aggressive mood. Arnett Gardens' Wilson and Walter Boyd also looked sharp and to a lesser extent Jonathan Williams.
The Harbour View forwards Gordon and Williams were finding life more difficult.
Gradually Arnett Gardens worked themselves in the ascendancy but Harbour View were never far behind. The breakthrough for Arnett Gardens came from a combination between Williams and Boyd.
A defence-splitting return pass from Boyd set Williams free but only momentarily as Fraser took him out. Referee Howard Stennett correctly awarded a freekick and Davis did the rest. He curled an unstoppable freekick past Gray.
The game continued to flow for Arnett Gardens until about the half hour mark when the visitors took over. Hue, Shaw, Fraser and Morgan dictated the play as they pinned Arnett Gardens into their own half forcing a number of corners and throws.
It was only a matter of time before Harbour View would equalise. That moment came in the 41st minute when Shaw fired a lovely shot from about 28-yards out. The ball slammed into the right upright, rebounded and hit goalkeeper Julian McLeish and crossed the goal line.
Harbour View made the predictable double change of introducing Taylor and McCreath for Gordon and Williams to begin the half. They tested the Arnett Gardens but could not breach it.
Arnett Gardens made changes of their own bringing on Denton Shedden for Kwame Richardson and Jermaine Benjamin for Gregory Messam. Both teams continued to trade attacks but in this half the better chances fell to Arnett Gardens.
Richardson who had missed a number in the first half continued in that vein in the second half, firing wide in the 53rd minute from a Wilson creation. Boyd would miss two chances also along with Wilson who blasted a left-footer wide.
The game came to a fitting end via the golden goal route in the sixth minute of extra time from the boot of Wilson. Substitute Jermaine Benjamin had fired a shot goalwards which rebounded in the path of the wiry Williams.
Williams played the ball to Wilson who fired with the outside of the right foot into the lower right hand corner of the net and raced off the field as the partisan full house crowd erupted.
"I had been working for it and got some chances but they were off," said Wilson after the game.
"I got one on target and it went in. It is a tremendous feeling. The fans out there were waiting for it and I really gave it to them," Wilson added.
While Wilson and his team-mates celebrated their victory with a trophy and a prize of $150,000 and three bonus points, Hue and his team-mates were left to ponder on what could have been.
"Well I thought we played a good game tactically and defensively. It is just that we did not execute offensively. I think it is just unfortunate that we conceded a late goal," Hue said. His team got $100,000 and one bonus point.
One of the most satisfied men after the game was Wray and Nephew's Andrew Price.
"The standard of play was very good. Both teams exhibited a lot of control, skill and pace and it was really exciting for the spectators who came out and were kept on the edge of their seats.
"I think it is a fitting end to the first round. We hope for the best as the competition continues. We have no regrets about our investment. We are in it for the long haul and we are seeing some returns on our investment at this point in time."
dictable double change of introducing Taylor and McCreath for Gordon and Williams to begin the half. They tested the Arnett Gardens but could not breach it.
Arnett Gardens made changes of their own bringing on Denton Shedden for Kwame Richardson and Jermaine Benjamin for Gregory Messam. Both teams continued to trade attacks but in this half the better chances fell to Arnett Gardens.
Richardson who had missed a number in the first half continued in that vein in the second half, firing wide in the 53rd minute from a Wilson creation. Boyd would miss two chances also along with Wilson who blasted a left-footer wide.
The game came to a fitting end via the golden goal route in the sixth minute of extra time from the boot of Wilson. Substitute Jerm-aine Benjamin had fired a shot goalwards which rebounded in the path of the wiry Williams.
Williams played the ball to Wilson who fired with the outside of the right foot into the lower right hand corner of the net and raced off the field as the partisan full house crowd erupted.
"I had been working for it and got some chances but they were off," said Wilson after the game.
"I got one on target and it went in. It is a tremendous feeling. The fans out there were waiting for it and I really gave it to them," Wilson added.
While Wilson and his team-mates celebrated their victory with a trophy and a prize of $150,000 and three bonus points, Hue and his team-mates were left to ponder on what could have been.
"Well I thought we played a good game tactically and defensively. It is just that we did not execute offensively. I think it is just unfortunate that we conceded a late goal," Hue said. His team got $100,000 and one bonus point.
One of the most satisfied men after the game was Wray and Nephew's Andrew Price.
"The standard of play was very good. Both teams exhibited a lot of control, skill and pace and it was really exciting for the spectators who came out and were kept on the edge of their seats.
"I think it is a fitting end to the first round. We hope for the best as the competition continues. We have no regrets about our investment. We are in it for the long haul and we are seeing some returns on our investment at this point in time."
