10-man Mount Pleasant too good for Harbour View
Substitute Sajay Anderson notched a stoppage time winner as 10-man Mount Pleasant Academy deservedly beat Harbour View FC in the Jamaica Premier League football action on Sunday.
Kevaughn Isaacs was sent off in first-half stoppage time after he was twice yellow-carded for foul play at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) JFF-University of the West Indies Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.
Mount Pleasant Head Coach Walter Downes was pleased with his team’s execution after playing the entire second half with 10 players against Harbour View.
“We planned for this — we knew at some point in the season we might be down to 10 men, so we had a shape we knew we could rely on… be compact and break wide, and go long and use our set pieces,” he told journalists during a post-match interview.
“When you lose a forward it’s still two banks of four [for opponents] to get through. If you’re well-marshalled and you’re disciplined… although you give up possession, then it can be comfortable. We had the discipline and the will to win and we cherish the clean sheet,” Downes added.
Though his team was kept at bay by Mount Pleasant, and even outplayed at times, Harbour View Head Coach Ludlow Bernard did not express too much disappointment at the final whistle.
“Overall, I was satisfied with what they gave in the first half; they were able to nullify the Mount Pleasant team and limited them to stray passes. Yes, everybody is going to say that playing against 10 men in the second half you’re going to just go at them, but no. Probably what I needed was more experience in terms of moving the ball up there, but there was too much impatience,” he explained.
The opening half of the game was hotly contested by both teams but lacked high-quality attacking play and fluency on the artificial turf.
The tide seemed to have turned in Harbour View’s favour when opposing midfielder Isaacs was given his marching orders on the stroke of half-time.
But the second half mostly belonged to Mount Pleasant as they stayed compact when not in possession and even created a few chances that were not taken. Harbour View, though having the lion’s share of the ball, were virtually toothless in attack and hardly seemed like the side with a one-man advantage.
Mount Pleasant were rewarded for their defiant display when, in the fourth minute of time added, Anderson, who had been brought on only minutes earlier, took down a cross and poked his effort beneath the advancing goalkeeper Amal Knight.
Teams: Mount Pleasant – Shaven Paul, Ladale Ritchie, Suelae McCalla, Kevin Layne, Oshane Roberts (Liston James 61st), Donovan Segree, Kevaughn Isaacs, Alwayne Harvey, Daniel Green (Tyrese Gowie 51st), Ricardo Morris, Devonte Campbell (Sajay Anderson 80th)
Subs not used: David Swaby, Allen Ottey, Tajay Anderson, Jowell Powell, Cleon Pryce
Booked: Isaac’s (36th — ejected 45th+2), Morris (45th+2), McCalla (90th+5)
Harbour View – Amal Knight, Casseam Priestley, Odorland Harding, Shamari Dyer, Romaine Brackenridge, Oshane Staple, Garth Stewart (Jamone Shepherd 68th), Timar Lewis (Lennox Russell 68th), Oquassa Chong (Shian Hanson 87th), Trayvone Reid, Tevin Scott
Subs not used: Akeem Mullings, Trey Bennett, Shavon McDonald, Jay Jameison, Tyrese Williams
Booked: Scott (47th), Brackenridge (53rd)
Referee: Okeito Nicholson
Assistant referees: Jassett Kerr-Wilson, Ricton Archer
Fourth official: Christopher Mason
Match commissary: Ewan Scott
Monday’s games
1:00 pm – Cavalier vs Waterhouse
3:15 pm – Dunbeholden vs Montego Bay United