Photo: Harbour View striker Jermie Lynch celebrates his goal against Barbican on Sunday. Harbour View won the game 2-1 to move into third position in the league.
Former Red Stripe Premier League champions Harbour View FC had to play out a nervous last quarter of an hour to secure a 2-1 away win over the improving Barbican FC at the UWI Bowl on Sunday. Harbour View had looked comfortable, leading 2-0 until the home team pulled one back in the 76th minute and then turned up the pressure in the dying moments.
Barbican who had secured their first ever top flight win in their previous game against Humble Lion, started the game confidently and created a few scoring chances but failed to make them count. They were punished late in the half, for not taking their chances, when John-Ross Edwards scored from the penalty spot in the 38th minute. Harbour View held their one goal lead at the break.
Barbican started the second half brightly and it required an acrobatic save from Levor Williams in the 49th minute to prevent them from drawing level. A left sided cross from Lennox Russell was headed on target by Jermaine Parris at the back post. Williams in the Harbour View goal was caught going the wrong way and had to readjust his body, diving to his right to stop the ball virtually on the goal line.
Barbican kept pressing and Williams was called into action yet again in the 52nd minute, after Parris turned his marker inside out before firing a shot towards the far post. The keeper made a diving saving, full stretch to his right.
Harbour View then went on the counter-attack down the left through Mckaully Tulloch, but the striker rushed his effort which went high and wide.
The Stars of the East then took control of the midfield which led to more chances being created and they almost double their lead on minute 65, when Ranique Muir turned sharply in the box before delivering a delightful cross to the back post, but Tulloch’s effort went inches over the crossbar.
Four minutes later Tulloch must have been wondering if the football gods were against him as he saw his fierce drive rebound into play from the crossbar. His teammate, Kevaughn Frater collected the rebound on his chest but his shot, under pressure, went over the bar.
The Harbour View pressure finally told in the 72nd minute when a quick throw-in caught out the Barbican defence and Jermie Lynch blasted home from close range.
The Harbour View lead was cut only four minutes later when Mario McDonald lobbed Williams who had rushed off his line, to give his team some hope of at least salvaging a draw. But the visitors were able to keep out the Junior Francis coached team despite sustained pressure in the final few minutes.
Andrew Hines, coach of Harbour View who was not pleased with conceding said, “A lapse in concentration cost us a goal because we got too comfortable and we got lackadaisical. I think we could have maintained our concentration and gotten more goals.
“We are not yet 100% where we want to be, but I am happy for the three points and we have to give them credit for that,” he concluded.
“I think we played very well, creating the chances but not putting them away. We are getting better and better…our striker got off the mark today. We are trying to get our act together. I think we played a better passing game than them but we were just unfortunate to give up a goal (penalty)that haunt us,” said Junior Francis, coach of Barbican.
Back to back wins for the first time this season, has moved Harbour View up to 11 points and third place in the league while Barbican slipped back into the relegation zone as they remain on five points.
Harbour View will travel to Drewsland to face second placed Waterhouse FC in a rescheduled game on Wednesday at 6:00pm.
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