Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Seba United's struggles on and off the pitch continued when they were hammered 4-1 by Harbour View in Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL) play on Wednesday night at the Harbour View Mini Stadium.

However, their coach, Hopeton Gilchrist, does not believe that their current problems off the field had anything to do with the team's uninspiring performance on the New Year restart.

"I would rather not comment on that situation right now, but I don't think it has anything to do with the team's performance today," Gilchrist said after the game.

"Today, the field was a little wetter than we were used to, and that was a problem, but generally the plans we came into the game with, just didn't work out," the coach explained.

Well, one would think not. The St. James team found themselves a goal behind as early as the sixth minute, and then four goals down by half-time as they struggled to keep up with the Stars of the East.

Harbour View captain Lovel Palmer got things off to promising start when he blasted the home team into the lead.

Slammed door shut

New signing Kemeel Wolfe dug Seba into an even deeper hole with his 15th-minute strike, while Kavin Bryan and Gregg Taylor 29th and 41st-minute strike effectively slammed the door shut.

Wilfred Smith managed to pull one back for the Seba team with an 81st-minute header.

The Stars of the East moved to second-place on 28 points, five adrift of leaders Waterhouse (33) and three ahead of third-place Boys' Town, whose game against Reno was blown off at half-time due to a flare-up of gun violence in the Rema area.

Seba parted company with former head coach Geoffrey Maxwell in mid-November and more recently have been faced with the sudden unavailability of traditional home venue Jarrett Park, which has been chosen as a practice venue for this year's ICC Cricket World Cup.

According to Bruce Gaynor, Seba's club chairman, and the St. James Football Association (St. JFA), permission had been given to use the facilities until the 16th of January, but the goalposts have already been removed and clay dumped on the pitch.

Sore issue

The issue remains a sore one with the club and, in fact, Wednesday night's fixture with Harbour View was nearly abandoned as the team threatened not to travel as a sign of protest. A meeting with the St. JFA president, Orville Powell, on Wednesday morning saw the team honouring the fixture. But, Gaynor insists things have not yet been resolved and there may be protest action.

"We were told to withdraw our protest temporarily, but the St. James FA will be taking action and we will do what we need to," a disturbed Gaynor remarked.

"I am not going to support cricket at the destruction or demise of football and we will take whatever course of action that we have available as members of this club or citizens of this country," he added.

Seba are in 10th place with 14 points.