WHAT A TREAT!
Bernard urges support for Concacaf Championship after H'View clip Robinhood in thriller
Harbour View's Okeemo Jones (left) tries to protect the ball from SV Robinhood's Ackeini Meusa during the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship match at the National Stadium on Wednesday. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)

Harbour View's Head Coach Ludlow Bernard says many football fans missed a treat as his team came from behind twice to beat SV Robinhood 3-2 in the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship match at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Shaquille Bradford scored in the 55th and 70th minutes for the Jamaican club, after Omar Thompson's strike in the 45th minute.

Shaquille Cairo had given the Suriname-based outfit a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute before Captain Jamilhio Righters converted from the penalty spot in the 50th minute to restore Robinhood's one-goal advantage.

"I know the doubts and the questions surrounding the excitement and the relevance of this competition. It is indeed very relevant and of course, you probably would see even more relevance whenever the Jamaican teams advance to the next round of the competition," Bernard told the Jamaica Observer.

"But we did serve up a very exciting game here today. We came from behind twice. I'm sure that the small crowd that was here thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed the game. A lot of people missed the game though," he said, while urging local football lovers to pay keener attention to the competition.

Bernard said the plan had been to adopt a free-flowing approach against the visitors.

"Harbour View always create a very tantalising encounter when we are playing internationally. Today, for the first time in this competition, we decided to go in attack," he said.

"Being at home and probably with a few more days of added preparation, you know, enabled us to really show some of our attacking strengths and today it produced three goals which was very good. What was also very significant was the fact that we did not hold our heads down when we conceded on both occasions," Bernard explained.

It was a result that saw the Stars of the East leapfrog Robinhood into top spot on seven points in Group B. Robinhood remained on six points, ahead of Atletico Pantoja of the Dominican Republic in third spot on three points. Jamaica's Dunbeholden and Cibao of the Dominican Republic have a point each.

The top two teams will advance to the semi-finals, but Bernard said Harbour View's ambitions go beyond that.

"Well, first and foremost, we want to win this competition here, the Caribbean section of it that is, and then by extension, we want to go ahead and showcase ourselves in the next round," said Bernard.

"The sky's the limit and of course, I think that we can achieve a lot more whenever we play in the next round after the Caribbean round of the competition, so we're going after that," he noted.

Harbour View's Garth Stewart (right) tries to elude the challenge of Alliero Belfor of SV Robinhood during the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship match at the National Stadium on Wednesday. Harbour View won 3-2.
Harbour View's Shaquille Bradford (left) and SV Robinhood's Roshiano Soebarman vie for the ball during the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship match at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Harbour View's Shaquille Bradford celebrates scoring his first goal against SV Robinhood during the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship match at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
BERNARD...I'm sure that the small crowd that was here thoroughly enjoyed themselves
BY HOWARD WALKER Observer writer

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