Harbour View coach pleased with fightback vs Tivoli

After seeing Harbour View FC end the second round of the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) in the top 10 of the standings, Assistant Coach Damion “Stew Peas” Stewart says the team has made a significant attitude shift in a bid to avoid relegation.

The “Stars of the East” came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 result against Tivoli Gardens on Sunday at the Harbour View Stadium.

Alton Lewis and Anthony Nelson put Tivoli in front after 15 minutes, but the West Kingston-based club saw the lead slip away in the second half as Chidalu Chukwuemeka’s 50th-minute strike and Trayvone Reid’s penalty in the 71st minute after a hotly contested referee’s call ensured Harbour View gained a point.

Tivoli’s bench and supporters felt aggrieved by some refereeing decisions throughout the contest, but Stewart says it’s part of the process.

“It’s football, there are times calls go against and today we’re fortunate to get that and we’ll take that any time, because sometimes it goes against you, sometimes it’s for you. It’s deserved luck, but at the same time, it’s not luck. We were working hard and we were playing good enough to get back into the game,” Stewart said.

Exactly a month ago, Harbour View found themselves on 13 points and firmly in the relegation zone. However, they’ve managed to pick up 11 points from their last seven games, including wins over last season’s finalists Cavalier and Mount Pleasant Football Academy.

With 13 games to go, they’re now 10th on 24 points and Stewart says they deserve to be in this position.

“Hard work is the key to success, and the boys are working hard and they’re getting what they deserve. They’ve been working hard, training hard, doubling up and stuff like that, so I think it’s the hard work that’s paying off,” he said.

“They’ve been playing more games together, and when you start picking up points, you start believing in yourself, changing your attitude and your mindset. From the last game coming into this one, I thought we came out a little bit dull because we just beat Cavalier, but Tivoli gave us a wake-up call and we came out in the second half to show what we can do,” he said.

Although noting some refereeing decisions went against his team, Tivoli Gardens Head Coach Jerome Waite was unhappy with his overall effort.

“I’m not here to talk about the ref. It’s about the game of football. It’s the players at the end of the day are the ones that need to ensure whatever they need to do to win, they need to do it. Today, they didn’t do enough and as a result, the game drew 2-2,” he said.

“[I’m] disappointed, going up two goals in the first half and to see the lapse in concentration, and not to take anything away from Harbour View, because I think they came here and gave it their all to get back in the game.”

— Daniel Blake

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

•Harbour View 2, Tivoli Gardens 2

•Chapelton 1, Cavalier 2

•Dunbeholden 3, Humble Lion 2

•Racing 3, Molynes United 2

•Waterhouse 1, Portmore 0

MONDAY’S GAMES

•5:00 pm
— Vere vs Arnett Gardens @ Montego Bay Complex

•7:45 pm — Montego Bay vs Mount Pleasant @ Montego Bay Complex