Boys' Town bounce back with late winner

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

After hitting a slump recently, Boys' Town rebounded in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night with a last-gasp come from behind 2-1 win over defending champions Harbour View at the Anthony Spaulding Complex in their 19th-round Digicel Premier League encounter.

Harbour View opened the scoring through Rafeik Thomas (30th) but the Red Brigade struck back by way of second-half strikes from Renae Lloyd (62nd penalty) and Romondo Johnson (90th).

This was Boys' Town's first win in their last five outings and only their third in eight second-round encounters. They also suffered defeats in their two previous home games, which are now being contested at the Arnett Gardens' field.

"We haven't been playing well ... we did a little soul searching and a little disciplinary action had to be taken on some players," a very relieved Boys' Town's coach Andrew Price explained. "If you want to win the premier league and challenge for it, you have to get serious, and I thought we saw a very purposeful Boys' Town team here," he added.

Price must have thought it was a case of déjà vu in the 30th minute when Jermaine Hue neatly played through Thomas, who easily got by Johnson. He then had the simple task of slotting the ball under the outrushing Boys' Town custodian, Philmore Crumbie.

The Stars of the East, however, seemed to go on the defensive in the second half, allowing Boys' Town to do all the running, a fact which baffled their coach, Donovan Hayles.

"I think we lost the plot deep in the second half, I think we came and we fell too deep in the midfield," Hayles outlined. "Knowing that they (his team) had the one-goal lead they were just too overcautious," he added.

Hayles was therefore not surprised when Boys' Town struck back, first through Lloyd in the 62nd minute as he calmly dispatched a penalty, after his teammate Dean Thompson was pulled down in the area by Robert Williams. Johnson snatched all three points for Boys' Town as he applied a neat finish to a cross from Marvin Morgan deep in stoppage time.

"We were flirting with danger how we were playing," Hayles stated. "So what happened in the end ... is a situation that you realise you saw coming because we were really playing tactically bad."

Price is hoping that the last-minute win will act as a catalyst for improved performances going forward.

"To get the goal in injury time is just icing on the cake, and I hope this will help us turn the corner and start getting consistent," Price concluded.