Harbour View managed to do what no other team had done since the start of the 2012-2013 Women’s football season and that is to score on Barbican Women’s football team.
Harbour View managed to do what no other team had done since the start of the 2012-2013 Women’s football season and that is to score on Barbican Women’s football team.
The feat occured in the finals of the Sherwin Williams Colour Scape Knock Out football final played at the Waterhouse Mini Stadium on Saturday September 28.
Harbour View had entered the game in red hot form having beaten Waterhouse 7-0 in the semifinal but were behind after only 12 minutes when last year’s leading goal scorer, Jodi-Ann McGregor put the defending champions ahead when she slotted home from inside the area.
Six minutes later Tashana Vincent had a glorious opportunity to double her team’s lead but dragged her shot wide of the left upright when put in on goal by McGregor.
Harbour View started finding their feet in the game with the precocious Khadijah Shaw starting to exert herself in midfield as the game swung in favour of the underdogs.
A neat right sided move in the 24th minute saw Tanesia Vassell play in Shaw down the flank and she whipped in a cross which was headed just over the top by Mellissa Hamilton.
It was clear that if there was going to be anyone to get Harbour View level in the game it would be Shaw and that she did, when she scored directly from a free kick. The midfielder struck a firm shot to the far post which went in off the upright to level the scores in the 32nd minute.
Barbican found themselves coming under pressure from a hard running, youthful Harbour View aggregation as Shaw ,Vassell and Lydia Hall grabbed control of the midfield. They were unable to let their territorial advantage count and the teams went it 1-1 at the half.
The experience of Barbican showed almost immediately after the restart as they caught the Harbour View defense cold when skipper Alicia James played through Yolanda Hamilton down the left channel. The winger then crossed to an unmarked Shanique Smith whose side-footed effort from 14 yards out made it 2-1 in the 47th minute.
Vincent got on the score sheet for Barbican when she calmly slotted home from 16 yards when she was left unmarked by the Harbour View defenders yet again in minute 58.
However, Harbour View refused to go away and played themselves back into the contest with Shaw especially doing a lot of work down the left flank. In the 66th minute she provided a tantalizing cross for second half substitute, Deneisha Blackwood on the far post but the connection by the striker wasn’t enough to trouble Abbigale Palmer in the Barbican goal.
Two minutes later and Shaw struck again to reduce the deficit. Harbour View were awarded a free kick on the top of the box and the 16 year old stepped up to blast the ball through the keepers hands and into the back of the net.
The score was now 3-2 with just over 20 minutes to play. Harbour View had the more potent strikers in Vincent and McGregor but they were denied possession by a Harbour View midfield that was working tirelessly.
With the clock running down, Barbican coach, Charles Edwards rang the changes to protect his lead and did so to good effect as they held on for the win in a game that could definitely have gone the other way.
Barbican striker Jodi-Ann McGregor was happy to defend the title although she acknowledged that it was a tough encounter saying, “never underestimate your opponents, however we always play and show why we are champions.”
A clearly distraught Tamara Williams, head coach of Harbour View said, “we were nervous at the beginning but after about 15 minutes we settled down. When we scored it relaxed the team.
“We played a very good second half, our pattern of play was very good. We deserved to win, the girls are heartbroken.”
Photo: Lydia Hall of Harbour View tries to get past Alicia James and Jodi-Ann McGregor of Barbican – Trudian Mills is looking on.
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