Harbour View, Humble Lion draw 2-2 in JPL
Published:Tuesday | November 14, 2023 | 12:12 AM
THE Andrew Price-coached Humble Lion kept their unbeaten run in the 2023-24 Wray & Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL) intact following a 2-2 draw with Harbour View at Sabina Park last night.
Both teams started off brightly and the game’s first goalscoring opportunity went to Harbour View in the seventh minute but Shaqueil Bradford could only watch as his right-footed effort went wide of the intended target.
Disappointment would turn to jubilation soon after as the forward was again in the thick of things this time powering home the game’s opening goal in the 23rd minute. Bradford reacted first as he pounced on the rebound after his teammate Omar Thompson’s shot smashed into the crossbar and rebounded into play.
That would prove to be a wake-up call for Humble Lion as with their next attack they equalised through former Camperdown High star player Jardel Williams who found a space in the box and managed to control, turn and crack his shot inside the back of the net in the 26th minute.
Captain of Humble Lion, Andrew Vanzie, also took advantage of poor marking to send his team in the lead in the 35th minute. He was left wide open at the edge of the 18-yard box and made Harbour View pay dearly as he calmly placed his left-footed effort wide of the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Anthony Bennett to give his team a 2-1 half-time advantage,
In the second half, chances were few and far between but Harbour View’s veteran player, Andre Fagan, managed to slip between two defenders to score his first goal of the season with a magnificent header in the 52nd minute as the Stars of the East levelled the match.
Ludlow Bernard, head coach of the Harbour View, said they needed to work more on their defence as the team continues to give up soft goals.
“We need to stop conceding unnecessarily,” he said. “Whenever we give up goals like these today, it’s really a cause for concern. I find that the defenders need to do better at the back of the pitch and give the forwards a chance as I know that we’ll score goals.” Humble Lion’s Price said his team shifted their focus in the second half of the match and this resulted in them getting one, rather than three points.
“I think in the second half, we didn’t play the way we did in the first. Our energy level looked low and we brought Harbour View back into the game. We have to be consistent and keep our energy level high for 90-plus minutes,” Price said.
Ahead of last night’s second game, Humble Lion moved to sixth in the standings with five points from three games while Harbour View have two from three. They are in 11th place.