Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
Harbour View's Luton Shelton (left) is hustled off the ball by Reno's Andre Jarrett in the first half of their Wray and Nephew National Premier League third round game at the Frome Sports grounds yesterday. Harbour View came from behind to win 2-1. - PHOTO BY PAUL A. REID
WESTERN BUREAU:
HARBOUR VIEW maintained their lead atop the Wray and Nephew National Premier after coming from behind to beat Reno 3-1 in muddy and wet conditions at the Frome Sports Complex yesterday.
The win secured a hat-trick of victories and lifted Harbour View to nine points and kept them ahead of the pack after three rounds.
Harbour View's captain Lovel Palmer scored for the third straight game when he converted a 27th minute penalty to equalise on Omar Dallas' 8th minute lead, while Loxley Thomas scored the winner in the 43rd minute.
The teams finished with 10 men each after Reno's Omar Johnson and Harbour View's Kevin King were both sent off late in the second half for an off the ball incident.
Harbour View's coach Barrington Gaynor was happy for the three points, saying they will take them no matter how they came.
He agreed the game was "ugly", especially after the first 20 minutes but said, "yes it was ugly but it was also under ugly conditions, so we don't mind getting the three points anyway we can get them as every point counts".
The game plan, he said for the second half was to play for a "nil-all draw" after "winning the first half as that would mean we would win".
Overall he said they felt good as "we are on top of the league and we want to keep it that way till the end".
BAD DAY
A disappointed Reno coach Calvin Valentine told The Gleaner "it was just a bad day for playing football for Reno, the conditions (were very bad) and we didn't stick to the game plan".
Valentine said the team started "very well but lost concentration and allowed Harbour View back in the game and from then on we just lost our cool and lost our heads".
He said the plan in the second half was to "press them in their own half but I guess it did not work that well".
Reno got off to a fast start, pushing Harbour View back in their own half and reaped quick dividends with an early goal. Goalkeeper Leighton Murray tried to pin a free kick from Andre Jarrett unto the crossbar but it fell nicely for Dallas to punch it into the unprotected goal.
Harbour View pulled level in the 27th minute when Palmer converted from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Kenrick Blair dragged him down just inside the six yards box.
Blair kept the scores level in the 32nd when he pulled off the first of three good saves, tipping a ferocious shot from Luton Shelton over the bar for a corner.
Kevon Grant should have given Reno the lead in the 41st minute when he led a two-on-one breakaway with Gary McIntosh. With just Murray at their mercy, Grant opted to pass the ball to McIntosh and the ball stopped in a puddle of water, allowing the Harbour View team to concede a corner.
They would pay dearly as two minutes later Harbour View grabbed the winner. Triston Cunningham gave up an easy ball to King at his team's left corner flag and King passed it to Thomas, who made space for himself and shot past Blair at the custodian's near post.
The start of the second half was delayed after it was discovered that Shelton had started in the number 21 shirt after he was listed to wear the number nine shirt. The oversight was eventually addressed and he was allowed to continue playing in the number 21 shirt.
SCOREBOARD
HARBOUR VIEW 2 - Lovel Palmer 27th, Loxley Thomas 43rd
RENO 1 - Omar Dallas 8th
