RANIQUE Muir starred with three goals as Harbour View FC got their first win of the 2014-15 campaign in a 4-1 rout of old rivals Boys’ Town FC in the feature match of Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) double-header at the National Stadium on Sunday.

The 25-year-old attacker, playing his first game of the new season after being out with a suspected case of the chikungunya virus, applied confident finishes in minutes three, 51 and 60, while McKaully Tulloch hit the other in the 38th minute.

Shamar Nicholson handed Boys’ Town a quick equaliser in the fourth minute of an action-packed game; laced with a slew of missed chances, particularly in the opening half.

In a post-match interview, Harbour View FC assistant coach Dwayne Blake praised Muir and the overall team performance.

“It was a very good game and we were disciplined in every position, apart from the soft goal we gave up. Ranique was my player of the game and the rest of the team was good,” he said.

“We feel good for the first win of the season and we want to go on a winning streak from here. We drew 3-3 with Reno in a previous match and we stuck to the same attacking formation to score the goals,” Blake added.

With the victory, Harbour View, the champions of two seasons ago, moved to five points from four matches.

Boys’ Town, last time winners in the 1988-89 campaign, suffered their third loss in five matches and remain on four points.

Their coach Andrew Price was critical of his team’s play at both ends of the park and noted its impact on the outcome. However, he added that such challenges were expected given the youthful make-up of his squad.

“If we had put away some of those chances we had in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the game, it could have been much different. But the old adage is if you don’t score, you can’t win games and it really came back to haunt us as we made silly mistakes and gave up some goals after that.

“It’s a young team and they’re going to continue to learn and we are going to have to just fight through this,” Price told the Jamaica Observer.

Before focus had shifted from the 4-0 drubbing of newcomers Barbican FC by Rivoli United in the opening game of the National Stadium double-header, Muir gave Harbour View the early lead against Boys’ Town.

He showed impressive acceleration, was first to left-back Kemar Lawrence’s weak cross and took a touch before booting past Boys’ Town goalkeeper Leon Goffe in the third minute.

A minute later, Boys’ Town equalised when Nicholson bundled home from inside the six-yard box.

And about five minutes later, Boys’ Town’s top shooter Rafiek Thomas hit the far upright with a low shot which had Harbour View’s keeper Levor Williams easily beaten.

Approximately 20 minutes into the clash, Thomas, who endured a disappointing game of football, missed a one-on-one with Williams, amazingly rifling wide after speeding behind the Harbour View defence.

A frenetic period followed as both teams came close to scoring at either end of the pitch on a few occasions.

But Tulloch separated the teams when he was unmarked inside the 18-yard box and curled a right-footer into the far corner of the goal to leave Boys’ Town trailing 1-2 at the break, though they had created the clearer chances in the first half.

Muir was on hand to notch his second of the evening when Tulloch pounced on Goffe’s miscued clearance. Tulloch then slid a pass to Muir, who side-footed home with aplomb.

The pounding was complete on the hour mark as shambolic defending undermined any chance of a Boys’ Town come-back. Young right-back Dejanni Isaacs was the orchestrator, setting up the third for Muir and Harbour View’s fourth goal of the night.

Teams: Harbour View — Levor Williams, Damion Oliver (Rennico Clarke 53rd), Christopher Harvey, Dejanni Isaacs, Nicholas Beckett, Kemar Lawrence (Shamar Brown 78th), Jorginho James (Daminan Anderson 69th), John-Ross Edwards, Mckaully Tulloch, Jermie Lynch, Ranique Muir

Subs not used: Dane Chambers, Donovan Edwards, Kevaughn Frater, Vasbert Harry

Booked: Oliver (53rd)

Boys’ Town — Leon Goffe, Hugh Evans, Asrick Samuels, Xavian Virgo, Garfield Gillespie, Marvin Stewart (Tkevin Garnett 69th), Chavaney Willis (Andre Dawson 59th), Peter Keys, Shamar Nicholson, Rafiek Thomas, Pierre McPherson

Subs not used: Carlloyd Walters, William Richards, Orlando Stewart, Rohan Scott, Giovanie Palmer

Booked: Samuels (63rd), Gillespie (69th)

Referee: Kevin Morrison

Assistant Referees: Stacy-Ann Greyson, Princess Brown

Fourth Official: Doyen Tummings

Match Commissary: James Pearson