Palmer steals the show

In mid-June veteran utility player Lovel Palmer returned to Harbour View FC, his boyhood club, after more than 10 years in Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League in the United States. He was back, he said, “to impart the knowledge that I have gained playing overseas for all these years.”

Yesterday the 37-year-old did just that as he scored the winning goal to lift Harbour View from eighth to a precious play-off spot in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL). Palmer came into the match with 20 minutes remaining, and his first action was to take charge of a free kick given just outside the Arnett penalty area. The former Real Salt Lake midfielder, then spotted the ball and thumped a rasping shot past the experienced Amal Knight in goal for Arnett Gardens. The goal was enough to ensure a 1-0 victory over Arnett Gardens at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence and the three points were enough for them to move to 15 and leap over Dunbeholden (14). Dunbeholden had started the day in the sixth and final play-off spot. Harbour View’s coach Ludlow Bernard said Palmer was not the man down to take the free kick but he did not try to deny him when he placed the ball in the 70th minute.

“Lovell scored but it wasn’t really his kick but when I saw him take the ball and take charge of the situation, I didn’t intervene.

“ We finished sixth but we could have catapulted ourselves to a better position earlier (in season). But the mere fact that we achieved the status of being in the top six is very significant for them (players) right now. And there is a bigger picture for us to be on top (of league). But we needed to win and that was the important thing,” he commented.

MUST MATURE MENTALLY

Bernard now believes his players must mature and grow mentally if they are really to challenge for the title.

Although they dominated the game from the start, Bernard said he was a bit concerned that the chances they created were not being converted. Nevertheless, he insisted that he was always confident they would score.

“The last game we played we didn’t score until the 75th minute. These players were willing to go the full distance and I would have trusted them to find something,” he said.

Bernard added that the team was still a work in progress and a there is a lot more to be done before they consider themselves real title challengers.

“We are still a team in progress. There have been many scenarios and pressure situation throughout the season and the mentality of these boys has been questioned throughout that time. There have been some unfortunate situations throughout the time but they showed some resolve to bounce back. This team creates quite an number of chances but the finishing is questionable, as well as the decision-making around the box. So we will need to be more clinical but in time they will get better going forward,” he said.

Earlier Dunbeholden were whipped 5-2 by Mount Pleasant. The win moved Mount Pleasant to second in the points table on 18 points, one behind leaders Waterhouse.

Jourdaine Fletcher (35th and 75th) scored a double for the St Ann club with other goals coming from Alwayne Harvey (15th), Kevaughn Issacs (26th) and Kession Hall (62nd).

Mark Miller had given Dunbeholden the lead after 13 minutes and although Alwayne Harvey equalised two minutes after, Atapharoy Bygrave restored their lead from the penalty spot in the 21st minute.

Mount Pleasant’s coach Walter Downes was pleased with his team’s display. “Give our boys credit to come back twice with two amazing goals and to get the third before half-time to take us into the break with the lead. This is a real testament to their strength and togetherness,” he said.

His counter-part Harold Thomas, thought they could have given a better display.

“It was very disappointing. But it’s football, we never lose. It’s either we win or learn and today we learn,” the Dunbeholden coach said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com