Champions-elect Harbour View battled to an exciting 0-0 draw with Waterhouse at the mini-stadium on Sunday in the penultimate round of matches of the 2009/10 Digicel Premier League (DPL) season.

Harbour View’s post-match celebrations were subdued as they had expected the DPL trophy to be hand for them to relish at home. Instead, they will have to save their revels for next Sunday when they play dethroned champions Tivoli Gardens at the Edward Seaga Stadium where the trophy will be presented.

Club officials refused to comment on the issue, though it was clear they were disappointed, but that did not stop them from honouring their championship-winning teams, and as part of this, they unveiled their nursery of players starting from the tender age of four.

Harbour View, who won the Premier League for the third time following wins in 1999 and 2006, had T-shirts displaying three stars for each victory at local football’s highest level.

The Stars of the East, who won this season’s DPL title with two games remaining, also celebrated winning the Jamaica Football Federation’s Under-21 League for the third consecutive time. They also added to their cabinet the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Under-20 League last Saturday.

The St Benedict Marching Band performed during the half-time interval and there were firecrackers at the end of Sunday’s game.

On the field, Harbour View demonstrated why they are champions as they dominated their opponents with 10 men after national defender Dicoy Williams was shown a straight red card for a rash tackle on Darren Mattocks in the 40th minute. So intense was the tackle, Mattocks had to be replaced by De’Andre Brown.

Waterhouse, playing with a man more, never let their advantage count for the 50 minutes of normal time and the four minutes added on.

In fact, it was Harbour View who looked the more dangerous throughout, and were unlucky to not have scored.

Waterhouse never played with the expected conviction and flair, though they were under no pressure considering they had already wrapped up third spot.

Despite the draw, Harbour View moved to 74 points and increased the advantage over second-placed Tivoli to eight.

Teams: Harbour View — Michaud Barrett, Jaron Richards, Montrose Phinn, Dicoy Williams, Daveion Woodhouse, Richard Edwards, Marcelino Blackburn, John Ross Edwards (Andre Steele 65th), Jermaine Hue, Jahmali Spence (Clifton Waugh 44th), Kavin Bryan (Andre Fagan 79th).

Subs not used: Carlloyd Walters, Nicholas Beckett, Romario Campbell, Rafeik Thomas.

Booked: Williams (red card 40th), Hue (67th).

Waterhouse — Richard McCallum, Desmond Breakenridge, Roger Rodney, Rohan Amos, Nicholi Finlayson, Weston Forrest, Stephen Williams (Kemar Thomas 82nd), Darren Mattocks (De’Andre Brown 41st), Jonathan Williams, Mark Miller, Kevin Lamey.

Subs not used: Kelso Cousins, Hugh Howell, Kemar Josephs.

Booked: Amos (73rd), Brown (92nd).

Referee: Dave Peterkin

Assistant Referees: Stacey Ann Grayson, Oyincho McTaggart

Fourth Official: Tarik Parchment

Match Commissary: Horace Lewis