From being the least consistent team in the play-offs to being a Jamaica Premier League (JPL) finalist for the first in a long time.

Such is the story of Harbour View Football Club as they secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Waterhouse FC after coming from behind to secure a 1-1 stalemate in their decisive second-leg semi-final contest at Sabina Park on Wednesday.

Like they did in the first-leg tie when Nicholas Hamilton’s all-important 82nd-minute strike gave them a one-goal advantage, Harbour View again demonstrated grit and determination to keep a marauding Waterhouse unit at bay.

After Shaqeil Bradford (45th minute) sent Waterhouse in front with his fifth goal of the season, Hamilton, dubbed the super sub, again showed up when it mattered most with an 84th-minute strike on this occasion to send Harbour View into the final for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

In fact, that was when the “Stars of the East” won the last of their four titles and they are now on course to break the lengthy drought and add to their tally.

Hamilton, who was named Man of the Match, was beaming with pride about the accomplishment.

“This means a lot for the team because the aim was always to get to the final, and it means a lot to me as well because Coach [Ludlow Bernard] told me that I am the man from off the bench and I just went there and did it for my team,” a delighted Hamilton said in a post-game interview.

For Waterhouse, who contested the last three finals and were highly touted as title favourites, particularly after a dominant showing in the preliminary round in which they won 15 games, with four draws and a mere four losses, it was another case of so near yet so far.

The opening moments were expected to prove critical, particularly for the Drewsland-based team as they sought to overturn a one-goal deficit in this decisive encounter at the same time that their Head Coach Marcel “Fuzzy” Gayle was also engaged in a crucial fixture with Jamaica’s Under-20 Reggae Boyz in Honduras.

Waterhouse showed much purpose in the early exchanges and had a few early half chances from set plays, but with Harbour View intent on defending their advantage, their attackers had very little space to manoeuvre in the final third.

Harbour View gradually came to life with a few good build ups, the best of the lot coming in the 29th when poor defending from Ricardo Thomas allowed Timar Lewis through on goal, but the player sporting the number 11 jersey couldn’t keep his right-footed effort from close range down.

Waterhouse eventually pulled level on aggregate when mix up between Harbour View’s defender Ajeanie Talbott and goalkeeper Anthony Bennett allowed Devroy Grey to get a toe on the ball which then fell for Bradford to poke home from close range.

They had another grand opportunity to double the lead and, by extension, break the tie on aggregate, but Ricardo Thomas, who found himself with time and space in the final third, couldn’t maintain his composure and drove a right-footer wide of the left upright as the score remained unchanged at the break.

Waterhouse again started on the front foot at the resumption and again created a few half chances, but nothing that really bothered Harbour View’s custodian.

With Waterhouse having nothing to show for their dominance in possession, Harbour View found one opening through Hamilton who got away in the 18-yard box, and despite two defenders facing him, the former Cavalier FC man remained cool, calm, and collected to fire past the hapless Kemar Foster in goal for Waterhouse.

Colorado Murray had an opportunity to push Harbour View further ahead, but unlike Hamilton, lacked composure and the chance went abegging in time added.

At press time, there were no goals between champions Cavalier and Dunbeholden in the other late kick-off semi-final matchup. Dunbeholden went into Wednesday night’s match with a first-leg 1-0 lead.

— Sherdon Cowan