HARBOUR View FC are out of the 2014 Caribbean Football Union Club Championship.

The two-time winners stumbled at their first hurdle going down 0-1 to Group qualifiers Alpha United FC of Guyana at the Harbour View mini stadium on Sunday.

This makes their game against Defence Force today at the Harbour View mini stadium a mere formality, as in the opening game on Friday, Alpha downed Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 to come out on top of the three-team group with a maximum six points.

Harbour View were apparently disgusted, disappointed, embarrassed even, to the point that no one from the bench was made available to talk to the press following the catastrophe.

Disappointed yes, but it was not for the wants of trying, more so, in the second half that Harbour View had failed to even salvage a point.

They lost mainly because they came up against a much better organised team, both offensively and defensively. Harbour View are known to be a very good team with a reputation for winning tournaments and according to Alpha coach Wayne Dover, “this was not a team that we could take lightly. We came here to qualify and what we did on the field of play had to be in line with that commitment.

“In basketball it is said that offence wins games but defence wins championships. So we had a commitment to fulfil,” he said.

With this mindset imbedded in their armory for success, after Alpha had scored an early goal in the 11th minute through their dynamic striker Kithson Bain, his second for the tournament, Harbour View had their work cut out.

And they responded amiably following the early setback by raising their game. Throwing down the gauntlet, the visitors were made to work assiduously to maintain their slim lead and they defended stoutly onward for all they were worth until referee Yadel Martinez sounded the whistle to end the ordeal.