Harbour View cemented their status as the best football team in the land for 2009/2010 after they defeated main rivals Tivoli Gardens 2-1 in the final round of matches in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) at the Edward Seaga Complex yesterday.

Andre Steele put the Stars-of-the-East in front after just six minutes, but Keammar Daley equalised in the 39th minute.

Andre Fagan stole the victory for the visitors and the DPL champions when he came off the bench to score in the 63rd minute.

Harbour View finished with 77 points, 11 clear of Tivoli .

Winning coach, Donovan Hayles, who was widely criticised after he squandered a 15-point lead to concede the title to Waterhouse a few seasons ago, said he corrected those mistakes.

Although he was still a bit sour over the fact that the trophy was not presented to them on their home ground last weekend, he praised his team for their professional attitude and commitment.

“We played a very good game, despite the fact that we won the cup already; the players showed professionalism.

People were saying that we would have to beat Tivoli to win the championship, but to win the title we had to beat people like (St) Georges, Village and those teams and we were able to do so to become champions,” he said.

Hayles is hoping his young team can mature even further for next season and really become the dominant force in the league.

“These players have now bring a lot of pressure on themselves, because as a young team, they must show that come next year they don’t use youth as an excuse. They will now have to really prove their worth because they have shown that they belong in the league, so the pressure is going to be on them to continue delivering,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tivoli coach, Lenworth Hyde, was given the boot minutes before his team took the field after club president, Edward Seaga, said he inspected the team list and noticed it was the same starting team that lost the three previous matches.

“When he presented me with the team that was going to play today (yesterday), I looked at it and saw it’s the team that played the last three games and got beaten. He didn’t make the change so… we have been having that problem right throughout the season,” said the former prime minister of Jamaica.

Teams:

Tivoli — Edsel Scott, Kemar Flemming, Kasai Hinds, Victor Thompson, Jameel Thompson, Jerry Walters, Damion Gordon, Kevin Blackford, Irvino English (Nackwayne Parchment 82nd), Michael Spence (Dane Kelly 76th), Navion Boyd.

Subs not used: K Reid, J Taylor, M Blygen, L Gordon

Booked: Gordon (48th)

Harbour View — MIchaud Barrett, Jaron Richards, Montrose Phinn, Clifton Waugh, Daveion Woodhouse, Richard Edwards, Fabian Campbell, Andre Steele (Oneil Fisher 68th), Romario Campbell (Jermaine Hue 68th), Jahmali Spence (Andre Fagan 58th), Kavin Bryan.

Subs not sued: JR Edwards, N Beckett, K Wooley, C Walters

Booked: Wooley (42nd), Campbell (54th), Fisher (81st)

Referee: Kevin Thomas

Assistants: Mark Sullivan & Lloyd Edwards

Fourth Official: Clint Reid

Match Commissary: Anthony Cooke