By Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterAS THEY did last season, Harbour View yesterday stated their claim for the three bonus points up for grabs when they joined Waterhouse in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League end-of-first round final with a 4-2 beating of Rivoli at Compound.
"Our approach is to win and win as many Cups as we can," he told The Gleaner.
"I am a very positive person and if there are five Cups to be won, I must approach the five of them with seriousness. There is no insignificant part of the competition. The end-of-first round final is a part of the competition, the bonus points are a part of the competition and it must be a significant thing," Hayles added.
"The end-of-first round final is one of the most important. It is the round that can take you into the lead, further away from the other teams and force them to play catch up," continued Hayles, whose team advanced their tally to 23. They also have an outstanding game to play at Reno tomorrow.
Waterhouse sealed their place inn the final Saturday with a 2-1 home win over Tivoli Gardens and the Drewsland team have been equally hot all season.
Hayles had this to say about the upcoming match-up. "I don't worry about the opposition. I just think about what we have to do and continue doing it right."
The end-of-round winner will pocket $150,000 while runners-up will get $100,000.
RIVOLI ROUTED
Jermaine Hue (40th and 73rd minutes) hit a brace for his team, which got a goal apiece from Robert Scarlett (19th) and Fabian Taylor. Patrick Beech (2nd and 62nd minutes) was Rivoli's scorer.
When the game got going yesterday, Rivoli dug up an ant's nest but could not control it. As a result, they were bitten all over.
In the second minute, the wily Patrick Beech let fly a lovely volley past Harbour View's custodian Leon Gordon, this from a Garfield Reid free kick as the visitors from Spanish Town made a shocking start. Seventeen minutes after his team had conceded, Harbour View's midfield general Jermaine Hue, from deep in his area, picked out Robert Scarlett free on the left flank. The latter controlled and performed one of his trademark runs before unleashing a wicked left-footer past Allien Whittaker to tie the game at 1-1.
Five minutes from the half, Hue clinically placed a free kick around goalkeeper Whittaker's four-man wall which curled past the goalie's right into the net, sending the home supporters into a frenzy.
While the jubilation was going on, Hue reacted as if noting had happened. But when he walked by Derrick Planter after receiving a return pass from Lovel Palmer (to whom he had given a short throw), picked his spot and cracked a goal inside Whittaker's far post with his left foot, Hue punched the air with delight. He had waited all season for his first goal and he got two in one game.
During all this excitement referee Raymond Pyne was not enjoying himself in the middle. For most of the first half he stayed close to the centre circle and came to the touch line twice for water. He was suffering from flu-like symptoms and could not continue in his role as referee and was replaced by Ricardo Morgan as the whistle man, whilst fourth official Harriot Houslin was forced to take up the assistant referee duty.
Pyne was not the only person who was forced off the field due to medical reasons. Harbour View's Sean Frazer ended flat out after a collision with the 'keeper when he attempted to put the finishing touch on a pass from Luton Shelton, after both of them had strung together a series of one-two passes in Rivoli's area. He had to be carried off on a stretcher and was replaced by Daniel Shaw, who was himself substituted after he injured himself midway the second half attempting a shot at goal.
Rivoli's Reuben Whittaker also left the field injured after he was unintentionally brought down by Hue.
