Sport

Harbour View clip Arnett

By HOWARD WALKER, Staff Reporter

Rivoli United's Mark Wisdom (left) tackles Tivoli Gardens' Davian Laing during their Premier League match at the National Stadium last night. Tivoli won 4-1 - IAN ALLEN

ARNETT GARDENS' CHANCE of making the Premier League semi-finals took a severe blow yesterday after they lost 1-0 to Harbour View in an exciting encounter at the National Stadium last night.

National striker Luton Shelton scored the lone goal in the 62nd minute, latching on to a Jermaine Hue's long pass and outsped defender Christopher Hayles before calmly slotting past the advancing goalkeeper Allan Reid.

With all the top teams securing important wins, Arnett Gardens remain in fifth position on 43 points, seven points behind fourth place Harbour View on 50, Tivoli 51, Waterhouse 53 and leaders Portmore United on 55.

In the performance of the day, Kevin Lamey scored four times as Waterhouse went into the Prison Oval but took no prisoners in a crushing 4-0 win over Arlington.

In the other game at the National Stadium, Portmore United came from behind to clip Constant Spring 2-1 after staring defeat in the face with six minutes remaining.

Walter Boyd had given Constant Spring a ninth minute lead but substitute Jason Morrison in the 84th and Rafei Wolfe in time-added snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

In the second match at the National Stadium, defending champions Tivoli Gardens crushed Rivoli United 4-1 to remain in third position.

Disappointed man

Michael Tulloch, coach of Arnett Gardens, was a disappointed man after seeing the team closest to him gain three valuable points at his team's expense, but remains optimistic that his team can reach the semi-finals.

"All is not lost and we will just have to work hard and win the remaining eight games. It's not over yet," he said.

Winning coach, Donovan Hayles of Harbour View, was not perturbed with Arnett Garden's threat for the fourth and final spot.

"We are looking to catch the leaders, we are not worried about who is trying to catch us," he said.

"We are not worrying about Arnett Gardens, who is behind us," Hayles added. "This is a game we couldn't afford to lose and we didn't."

The game started at a brisk pace with the atmosphere of a cup final and it was Harbour View, who started with five national players, who settled first and dictated the early proceedings through midfield general Jermaine Hue, Luton Shelton, Lovel Palmer and Jomo Gordon.

Arnett Gardens had the clearest opportunity in the first half. In the 30th minute, the wily Jonathan Williams latched on to Kevin Wilson's pass and headed just over the cross bar from close range. The half ended 0-0.

In the second half, the red and black-clad Arnett Gardens took complete control and went close on a number of occasions before Shelton broke the deadlock.

With Arnett Gardens having territorial advantage and pressing for the opening goal, Hue picked out Shelton with a raking 35 metre pass and the speedy striker outsped the lone defender to give Harbour View a precious lead in the 62nd minute.

Arnett Gardens, who earlier lost Marlon Benbow with a broken finger, brought on Cornel Chin-Sue and Patrick Beech and threw everything into attack.

However, burly Onandi Lowe, Jonathan Williams, Kevin Wilson, Winston Griffiths and Garth Boota couldn't break down the Harbour View defence marshalled by Damion Stewart, Jermaine Taylor and Donald Stewart.

GP W D L GF GA GD (T.PTS)

1. Portmore 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 (55)

2. Waterhouse		2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 (53)
3. Tivoli		2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 (51)
4. Harbour View		2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 (50)
5. Arnett		3 2 0 1 2 1 +1 (43)
6. Village		2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 (29)
			7. Rivoli		3 1 0 2 3 5 -2 (28)	8. Wadadah		2 1 1 0 4 1 +3 (24)	9. Reno		2 0 2 1 2 4 -2 (21)

10. Constant Spring 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 (21)

11. Arlington 3 0 0 3 0 8 -8 (16)

12. Invaders 2 0 1 0 1 3 -2 (13)