The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: St Georges make strong start to third round

Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

A Boys' Town defender (right) applies some pressure on August Town's Mitchily Waul in their Cash Plus Premier League football match at the UWI Bowl yesterday. Boys' Town won 1-0. - Ian Allen

PROMOTED St Georges made their third round intentions clear last night, blanking Harbour View 2-0 at Compound, even missing an earlier penalty, to win their first Cash Plus Premier League match on the road.

A double from striker Brian Wolderston, who struck in the 60th and 83rd minutes, handed St Georges victory against Harbour View, repeating their 2-0 second round win over the defending champs at Lynch Park.

"It's a good feeling but as I have always said victory would come if we were patient," said coach Donovan Duckie, who continues to impress with his handling of the Premiership first-timers, especially their impressive home record of just two losses.

"We were playing well away but a couple of things went against us. There were times we were leading and conceded goals. We came to play for a point today but at half-time I noticed the Harbour View team seemed a bit jaded and we decided to play them on the counter," he added.

Fifth on Goal Difference

Harbour View's loss kept them fourth in the standings on 33 points, just one ahead of St Georges, who share 32 with Boys' Town but are fifth on goal difference.

Boys' Town were also winners yesterday, stopping last-place August Town 1-0 at the University of the West Indies to hold down sixth-place ahead of Seba, who edged Waterhouse 1-0 at Jarrett Park to move to 31 points.

Waterhouse remain third on 36, four behind second-place Tivoli, who trail leaders Portmore United by three points in the crucial third round from which the top six teams will play for the Premiership in a fourth round and the lower teams battle each other to avoid relegation.

Harbour View actually got the first chance of last night's match in the seventh minute when Lovel Palmer closed in on a goalmouth rebound off Jermaine Hue's shot, which was spilled inside the six-yard box by goalie Anthoneil Williams.

However, the St Georges 'keeper gathered himself to challenge Palmer at his near post, blocking the midfielder's shot.

Already playing without injured top striker Fabian Taylor, Harbour View's game went out the window in the 17th minute after an injured Kavin Bryan was replaced by Rafeik Thomas, who spends most of his time on the bench as a spectator.

The combination of Thomas and Kemar Petrekin failed to spark while St Georges looked fluent coming forward, spreading the defending champions and firing in high crosses to the back post, eluding Harbour View's tall central defenders.

It was one such play that won the men from Portland a penalty in the 34th minute after striker Denroy Dennis got around left-back Kevin Wooley and was cutting into the six-yard box where Christopher Harvey clipped him.

Captain Danian Reid took responsibility but the midfielder hit a tame shot almost straight at goalkeeper Dwayne Miller.

Harbour View responded four minutes later when Thomas sent Petrekin clear, one-on-one with the St Georges goalkeeper. However, he unbelievably shot wide of the far post with the keeper well off his line.

A no-nonsense Duckie, five minutes before the break, pulled his penalty-missing captain, who verbally abused him in front of the entire bench, replacing him with Barrington James, who came on to play a big second-half, having a hand in Wolderston's second goal.

Wolderston netted his first goal, a header, off a high ball played in from the right flank by Gairy Banton, beating goalie Miller in the air after the Harbour View 'keeper was pulled off his line to the penalty spot by the cross.

Coach Lenny Hyde used up his remaining two changes, Keith Kelly on for Kevin Wooley in the 65th and Robert Scarlett in for Donald Stewart at the 75th, but the replacements did little to help the defending champions and they were caught by a deadly ball played into space by Omar Brissett in the 83rd.

Standing with his back to goal, near the touchline, just inside Harbour View's half, Brissett's back-heel to the right flank was chased by James, whose cross was met at the back post by Wolderston, who booted past Miller to complete a famous win for the promoted side.