Portmore, H’view score important wins in JPL
PORTMORE United and Harbour View scored important wins to begin match week three of the Jamaica Premier League at the Stadium East Field yesterday.
While Portmore left it late to edge out Molynes United 1-0 in the opening game of the double-header, Harbour View were comfortable 2-0 winners over Mount Pleasant Football Academy, who began the day joint top of the league.
Coming off the back of a shock loss to Vere United in match week two, Portmore were desperate for three points against Molynes United, but it seemed as though they would have to settle for a single point until defender Damono Solomon popped up to grab the winner in the final minute of added time.
Portmore began the day in sixth position, on three points, and would have been confident of securing a fourth win over Molynes United in as many meetings in the top flight.
However, despite a dominant first half, they were unable to breach the defence of the team coached by Calvert Fitzgerald.
Portmore were guilty of spurning a number of opportunities to score in the first half. Captain Ricardo Morris was the first to miss after being fed in behind the Molynes defence, but saw his shot brilliantly and bravely saved by Roje Williams in the Molynes United goal.
Shortly after, Morris had to watch as his free kick sailed over the crossbar before
Demario Phillips was left holding his head as Williams dived to his left to turn his deflected free kick around the post for a corner kick.
Portmore were making the most of the heavy breeze in their back to dominate the game and create scoring opportunities, but were failing to hit the target.
Jevick Mcfarlane was the last Portmore player to be denied by Williams in the first half, as the custodian stuck out a leg to stop a goal-bound shot.
Things took a turn in the favour of Molynes United in the second half as it was their time to play with the breeze at their back.
Vice-captain Nicholas Nelson had a glorious opportunity to put Molynes ahead when one on one with Kemar Foster, but his feeble effort went straight to the Portmore goalkeeper.
A give-and-go between Fakibi Farquharson and Tyrique Wilson saw the latter fire off a shot to the near post, but an alert Foster made the save at his near post.
While Molynes enjoyed the better chances in the second half, they too found the goalscoring difficult as the clock ticked towards full time.
Portmore were then awarded a free kick just outside the box and veteran defender, Solomon, was on hand to poke the ball home with his thigh, after Williams uncharacteristically spilled a straight-forward catch from a tame cross in the sixth minute of added time.
The win took Portmore United to the top of the table on six points as they registered their second win of the campaign.
In the day’s second game, Harbour View scored their first win of the season through goals in either half from the free-scoring Aquasso Chong and Lennox Russell.
A rare start by schoolboy Tyrese Williams saw him repay the faith of his coach, Ludlow Bernard, when he supplied the cross for the tap-in by Chong in the 20th minute. It was the first time that Harbour View were scoring first in a game this season.
Buoyed by the opener, the “Stars of the East” took control of the game as they dominated the more experienced Mount Pleasant team, pegging them back as they applied the pressure. The combination of Williams and Chong had the Mount Pleasant defenders on their heels.
However, Mount Pleasant should have gone in level at the break when Kemar Beckford was one on one with Tafari Chambers, but his tame shot was easily saved by the Harbour View custodian diving to his left.
Oquassa Chong cannot be kept out of the action and the Harbour View hitman, who has scored three goals in three games, showed another side to his game when he outwitted his marker and crossed the ball for Russell, who switched the ball from his right foot to his left and fired the ball powerfully past David Swaby at his near post to make it 2-0 with just about a half-hour to play.
Mount Pleasant’s Coach Paul Davis did his best to try and get his team back in the game, making three attacking changes shortly after, but it was to no avail as the Harbour View defence stood up to all that was asked of them to keep their first clean sheet of the season.
The win took Harbour View up to second place on five points, if only for a few hours.