Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Rivoli United's Garfield Reid (right) dribbles past the sliding tackle of Harbour View's Jermaine Taylor during their Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match at Harbour View Mini Stadium. Taylor scored a goal in Harbour View's 5-1 win. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
HARBOUR VIEW wrapped up the million-dollar prize and the preliminary champions tag with a 5-1 thumping of Rivoli United in their ultimate round fixture of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League football competition yesterday.
Needing to win on the home field at Compound to be sure of the $1 million bounty for topping the league on points, the 'Stars of the East', who started the last round in pole position a point ahead of Waterhouse, got a scare in the second minute when Gregory Teape fired their St. Catherine opponents into the lead.
However, Harbour View responded instantaneously with an equalising goal from Lovell Palmer in the fourth minute and Marcelino Blackburn's go-ahead finish in the eighth.
That was good enough for a close 2-1 margin at halftime, which was fair, based on the game's even nature and production of chances, despite Harbour View having construcyed a few more.
Rivoli, though, went closest to scoring again in the first half when Reuben Whittaker crashed a shot on the bar from 30-odd yards in the 22nd minute.
GOT ON SCORESHEET
Jomo Gordon evened up that statistic for Harbour View by hitting the base of the goalpost with his team leading 3-1, but in the end it never mattered as he eventually got on the scoresheet with his team's fourth goal at the 83rd minute.
By then Rivoli, in what for them was an aimless match as they could neither be demoted nor promoted to the semis, were out for the count and 18-year-old touch player Anthony Christie provided another classy finish with a lovely curled shot into the pigeon hole from 20 yards at the 86th.
Prior to Christie's goal, near the hour mark, defender Jermaine Taylor outpaced an opponent on a long dribble from near the halfline and cooly disposed of goalie Moschell Nelson before slotting home his first goal for his club, at 3-1.
CELEBRATION
The joy of the moment, shared with several teammates in a celebration near the goalmouth, was probably fitting in light of the day's achievement.
Coach Donovan Hayles never got caught up in it too much though, choosing to focus on the bigger picture of landing the main prize.
"The prizemoney for me is an incentive for your achievement. The more important part is to win the championship," stated Hayles
"We're at the knockout stage. If you don't win at this stage you're not seen as the real champions. The real crunch is to be Premier League champions."
The next task for Harbour View, who finished top on 74 points, is the semis where they will play last year's winners Tivoli Gardens.
Looking at that two-way match-up, which begins next week Wednesday, Hayles said: "We'll definitely have to be on our 'A' game. It's like a 100m final at the Olympics. You run your heats and come now there's no more time for mistakes if you're to be champion.
"Tivoli are a very dangerous team and if you allow them to be inspired, you can be in for a very long and hard day."
