Smith’s spectacular brace sinks Harbour View
In what was described as a complete performance by head coach Shavar Thomas, Portmore United rebounded from their opening day loss with a workman-like 2-0 win over Harbour View at the Compound on Monday night.
Rondee Smith scored two brilliant goals in the 27th and 35th minutes that could have won any game, anywhere in the world.
Smith opened the scoring with an angled long-range effort that sailed over goalkeeper Christian Kluvis’ head and then put the icing on the cake with a beautiful curling effort from just outside the box.
“I am not worried about these guys because they come every day and work hard and he knows that if one of the strikers is out, he is getting his chance, he is going to take it,” Thomas told the Jamaica Observer.
Portmore United, who lost 1-2 to Mount Pleasant in their opening fixture, secured their first win and jumped into fifth spot with three points.
“It was a complete performance from the team. We played both 45s which we haven’t done in a long while and also we have a shut-out, so I am more pleased with that than anything else,” said Thomas.
Harbour View, who drew 2-2 with the University of the West Indies last week, have slipped a spot to ninth with a point and assistant coach Fabian Taylor was left disappointed.
“I am very disappointed. I am not satisfied but it’s early season and we have to pick up from here and try our best to get points on the board,” said Taylor.
“It was our first home game of the season and I thought we did some good things with a lot of passes. We tried to play our brand of football the Harbour View (way), but we got caught out by two brilliant goals by the Portmore striker,” Taylor admitted.
“We lapsed in concentration as we talked about throw-ins and how serious that can be if we switch off and our defenders switched off and they took full advantage,” he added.
Although it was not the most exciting of games, there was enough drama as both teams loaded with talent battled for supremacy, especially in the middle of the park.
Harbour View, with national player Peter-Lee Vassell and former Jamaica College star Tyreek Magee, matched strides with Portmore’s national player Ricardo Morris, along with Chavany Willis, Donnegy Fer and Vento Evans.
“I thought those two youngsters are very talented and with the ball they can hurt any team, but without the ball there are some flaws there and things we can work on,” said Taylor.
“They had two good ball handlers in Vassell and Magee in the middle, but we were contented with them having the ball in front of us and not penetrating or splitting the wide areas,” said Thomas.
But following their dominant first-half, the champions seemed to have sat back in the first-half and consolidated their easy win in the end.
“I wouldn’t say that we sit back much but we know that they were going to start throw stuff at us and we had to nullify what they bring,” noted Thomas.
Teams: Harbour View — Christian Kluvis, Ajeanie Talbott, Christopher Harvey, Odorland Harding, Dario Stewart, Nicholas Beckett, Peter-Lee Vassell, Tyreek Magee, Deshane Beckford (Timar Lewis 70th), Johann Weatherley (Bebeto McDonald 66th), Sean Fraser (Marcelino Blackburn 66th).
Subs not used: Williams Price, Richard Anderson, Marl Alves, Byron English.
Booked: None
Portmore United — Kemar Foster, Damano Solomon, Romaine Brackenridge, Osani Ricketts, Roberto Johnson, Chavany Willis, Venton Evans, Donnegy Fer (Damian Williams 76th), Ricardo Morris, Roshane Sharpe (Hardley Barnes 84th), Rondee Smith (Cleon Pryce 66th).
Subs not used: Paul Shaven, Nacquain Brown, Rosario Harriott, Jerrel Wijks.
Booked: Johnson (31st), Brackenridge (77th), Pryce (81st).
Referee: Karl Tyrell
Assistant referees: Jermaine Yee Singh, Damian Williams
Fourth official: Okeito Nicholson
Match commissary: James Pearson