Sport

Harbour View clip Rivoli 2-1 in NPL

By HOWARD WALKER - Staff Reporter

Photo :Ricardo Makyn
Goalscorers Garfield Reid of Rivoli United (left) and Harbour View's Jomo Gordon, in action during yesterday's rescheduled Wray & Nephew National Premier League match at the Harbour View Mini Stadium. Harbour View won 2-1.

JOMO GORDON SCORED after nine minutes and Clifton Waugh slammed in a 63rd minute penalty as hosts Harbour View eked out a 2-1 victory over Rivoli United in their rescheduled Wray and Nephew National Premier League game at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.

Garfield Reid got Rivoli's goal in the 56th minute. Harbour View, the Caribbean Club champions, earned three valuable second round points, jumping four places into seventh spot on nine points the same as Rivoli.

The first end-of-round winners are, however, 13 points behind the red-hot runaway leaders Portmore United on 22 and have their work cut out to catch the leaders.
More importantly Harbour View have clawed their way back into contention in the overall standings on 38 points behind Portmore on 42, Waterhouse, 39 and defending champions Tivoli on 38.

Lacklustre performance

Harbour View, warming up for their CONCACAF Club clashes with DC United of the USA on March 9 and 16, turned in a lacklustre performance and coach Donovan Hayles they must improve.

"I am not happy with our performance," he said shaking his head from side to side. "We didn't play well at all. A lot of players are totally off colour".

Although Harbour View have been struggling of late, Hayles thinks the big occasion against DC United with teenage prodigy Freddy Adu will ignite his team to lift their game.

"As Jamaicans we seem to do the impossible things. We might look ordinary here, but come to that international game on a quality surface and the motivation is up".

Meanwhile losing coach, Harold Thomas of Rivoli was visibly disappointed.

He said: I am disappointed with the result. We got chances and the penalty was dubious at best".

Harbour View, with Luton Shelton, the top marksman in the just concluded Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Digicel Cup on the bench, started the slower of the two teams.

Rivoli through Garfield Reid, Derrick Planter and Omar Gordon (the brother of Jomo Gordon) settled early but it was the home team that took the lead in the 9th minute.
Robert Scarlett worked his way down the left flank and picked out Jomo Gordon who side-footed home from close range.

Rivoli found the equaliser in the 56th minute when national player Garfield Reid found space at the edge of the penalty area and rifled home past a diving Leighton Murray in goal.

But parity lasted only seven minutes as Rivoli's goalkeeper, Moshell Nelson, failed to gather a cross and when the ball fell nicely for Jomo Gordon he pulled him down.

Clifton Waugh stepped up to bury a torrid right-footed shot into the roof of the goal from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to secure full points for Harbour View.