‘Chocolate’ savours sweet taste of victory

The taste of chocolate was in the mouth of all, especially the Harbour View fans, at the end of their Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) football match against visitors Cavalier on Sunday night. It was a pleasant taste for the visitors, but not so for the home-team supporters.

Donovan 'Chocolate' Edwards, who, up to January before moving to Cavalier during that month's transfer window, was on the books of Harbour View, scored the winner to leave a bitter taste in the home supporters' mouths, and Edwards loved it.

"I have been dreaming about this match from maybe two, three weeks ago.

"I have been at the club for about seven to 10 years, and I didn't really get the opportunity, and I knew I could have done it, and I really proved myself tonight," the 23-year-old said, as he fought back tears of happiness.

79th-minute equaliser

For Edwards, who scored in the 90+minute to add to Girvon Brown's 79th-minute equaliser, and to reduce Christopher Harvey's 38th-minute opener for Harbour View to insignificance, it ended a long period of suffering.

After a bright start to his schoolboy career, which included triumphs at the Primary School level, he faced dark times when he should have been on a high in high school.

"I won the Primary League with Mountain View Primary, then I went to Excelsior High School, where I played Pepsi and Colts, but at Manning Cup, I got an injury and had to stay out for about two to three seasons, so I did not play Manning Cup.

"I felt down, and I got so much fight, and it grieved me, so I decide that I had to put it out on the field, and I just did it. It is just Father God alone who knows how hard it was," explained Edwards.

With faith in God, he said he kept believing and fighting.

"Sometimes I felt like crying, but I just trusted in God and kept fighting. That kept my confidence up, and I am motivated by my children, who were born recently, as well as my grandmother, who passed away recently, as well," he added.

With the responsibility to his newborn children and recently-deceased grandmother, Edwards said he could not afford to fail at Harbour View, even with the taunting of some members in the crowd.

blocking out the negativity

"There were people in the crowd saying all sorts of things, but I just blocked them out and did it. I had no choice. I just put God first, and the rest followed.

"In fact, when the cross was on its way, the only thing on my mind was that I had to put it away. I got one before and did not score, and it was on my mind that I had to do it. I did and I feel so overwhelmed," the Nannyville Gardens resident said.

Having scored his first goal for his new club, Edwards can now only see good things happening.

"I just put out the hard work, and I am hoping that one day my dream will come true of playing for the national team and getting a contract to play overseas," he said.

Standings

Teams P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Arnett 23 14 3 6 37 26 10 45

W. House 22 12 5 5 35 12 19 41

MoBay U 23 11 6 6 29 15 14 39

H. Lion 23 10 5 8 24 19 5 35

H. View 23 9 7 7 29 24 5 34

Rivoli U 23 9 6 8 34 34 0 33

Tivoli 22 9 5 8 29 29 0 32

Cavalier 23 8 6 9 18 16 2 30

Sporting 23 7 3 13 25 38 -13 24

B. Town 23 6 5 12 22 36 -14 23

Reno 23 5 6 12 27 38 -11 21

Barbican 23 4 9 10 16 32 -18 21