Head Coach Ludlow Bernard is still fine-tuning his tactics to make defending Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Harbour View more dominant in midfield.

Harbour View had a 4-1 win over last season’s runners-up Dunbeholden at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday through Timar Lewis (11th minute), two from Nicholas Hamilton (34th, 86th), and Oshane Staple (58th). Fabion McCarthy scored a free kick in the 29th for Dunbeholden’s consolation.

But while Bernard is pleased with the result and the performance, he says his midfield is not yet clicking in the manner he wants it to.

“We still need to get to a situation where we can dominate midfield,” Bernard said after the game yesterday. “If [Demar] Rose is not available, then we’ll have to make adjustments. At this level we have to be able to dominate.”

In spite of the scoreline and being in control for much of the game, Harbour View found themselves at times soaking up pressure from Dunbeholden.

“It’s not every day that we can come and play behind the ball and then go for a counter,” Bernard said. “We have to work on getting the character of some of the players to be up so that they can take on that responsibility.”

New signing Demar Rose, who Bernard previously described as his chief playmaker for this season, also left the game injured just before half-time, after assisting the opening goal. That also thwarted Bernard’s strategy to get the ball forward.

“It certainly affected the flow,” Bernard said of Rose’s injury. “Starting Demar against this team was very deliberate. We knew that Demar has the quality passes to play in to the forwards – not saying we don’t have other persons who can do such, but he was best suited for this game.”

Bernard’s Dunbeholden counterpart Jermaine Thomas blamed waning concentration for the manner of the loss.

“At this level, you shut off like that defensively, you’re going to pay,” he said after the game. “I think we’re a little bit keener defensively, but today we weren’t as sharp. We made some really, really stupid mistakes defensively.

“We need to look at our compactness and play more as a team. I think that was missing at some points in the game as we were a bit disjointed, but once we can connect the defence with midfield, we’ll be good,” said Thomas

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

Dunbeholden 1, Harbour View 4

Molynes 0, Montego Bay 1

Humble Lion 2, Faulkland 0

Cavalier 3, Chapelton Maroons 0

Arnett Gardens 2, Waterhouse 0