Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Boys' Town's Michael Campbell (left) fires pass Alrick Henry of Seba, to give Boys' Town a 1-0 lead in their National Premier League playoff game at Collie Smith yesterday. Seba came from behind to win 3-1. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
SEBA UNITED took a giant step towards National Premier League qualification with a come-from-behind 3-1 away win over a fatigued-looking Boys' Town at Collie Smith Drive yesterday.
Michael Campbell gave Boys' Town a 26th minute lead but Wilfred Smith quickly levelled the scores in the 37th before Omar Reid in the 76th and Iton Scott's 86th-minute strike secured three valuable points for the Montego Bay team.
Winning coach, Paul 'Tegat' Davis, said it was important to win the first encounter and praised his players for following instructions.
'A GOOD FEELING'
"It's a good feeling to win the first game. When you are fighting for a place in the Premier League, the first game can tell you where you are going. Now we can take it a little easy for the next game," said Davis, one of Jamaica's most feared strikers in his time.
"It was an excellent game by both teams. Boys' Town played well but it's a game of chances and we took them," he said. Meanwhile, losing coach Andrew Price was brought down back to earth after his team took the lead but could not maintain the momentum.
CAME OUT FLAT
Said Price: "After coming off an exhilarating victory over the weekend, we came out flat and we didn't have any energy. It's not the start that we wanted but we have five games to play so we will have to wheel and come again."
However, he remains very optimistic.
"All is not lost. We gave up three points here, so we have to go on the road and get three points come Saturday."
Price also hopes his team has played its only bad game of the qualification series.
"It was a lacklustre performance. We didn't play well at all and I hope that this is the only bad game we have in the remainder of the qualifying round," he said.
In their second high-profile game of the season following Waterhouse's visit in the Red Stripe Champions Cup, Collie Smith Drive was buzzing with excitement and expectations. It wasn't long before the Red Brigade gave their fans something to cheer about.
SCUD MISSILE-LIKE SHOT
In the 26th minute, Jermaine Bailey weaved his way to the edge of the box and lost control but the ball fell nicely into the path of the speedy Campbell whose scud missile-like shot flew over Alrick Henry in goal.
But poor goalkeeping by the usually safe Marvin Mundy, formerly of STATH, allowed Seba to equalise. Wilfred Smith volleyed home after Mundy was caught out by a high right-side cross.
Then in the 76th minute, Reid dribbled past four players before placing his shot wide of a diving Mundy and 10 minutes later, Scott scored a beauty.
Scott from 25 metres, curled a fine left-foot shot over the wall and wide of a despairing Mundy who berated his players for not following his instructions as he set up the wall.
