Tweet
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>All square after Women's League first leg</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline>But Olympic grab 2-1 lead in 'A' League final</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Andrew Hancel
Thursday, December 07, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=208 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Taneisha Vassell (left) of Harbour View battles Portmore Strikers' Venicia Reid during yesterday's first-leg final of the Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League at Constant Spring. The teams drew 1-1. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore Strikers and Harbour View FC will have it all to play for on Saturday, as both teams played to 1-1 tie in the first leg of the Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League final at the Constant Spring playing field yesterday.<P class=StoryText align=justify>However, in the 'A' League final, Olympic Gardens came away with the advantage after beating, for the first time, Meadhaven United 2-1 in the curtain-raiser.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Tanisha Vassell scored in the sixth minute to give Harbour View the lead when she fired home a 20-yard strike which hit the inside of the upright before going in.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore Strikers then equalised five minutes after the resumption through Rochelle Bryan, whose 35-yard shot surprisingly beat national goalie Paula Jackson.<P class=StoryText align=justify>National striker Venicia Reid was punished for her indiscipline by Portmore's coach Cornell Clarke, who replaced the tricky forward just before the restart with defensive player Lorrain Solomon.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It was a (difficult decision), but she was showing some dissent and we don't stand for that. Hence the reason for her (substitution)," Clarke explained.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Harbour View remained the more dominant team throughout the game, while Portmore muffed a few chances of their own.
Play-maker Kimmia Parker dominated the midfield for Harbour View, and almost put her side in front again on the hour mark, but her free-kick smacked the crossbar.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It was a tough game," Clarke told the Observer at game's end.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We had some problems with players... we had... only 14 players in our squad today. But we're glad for the point considering that we came here with a skeletal squad," he added, while expressing confidence that his girls will put on a better show in the second leg.
Portmore's coach Vin Blaine was a very disappointed man at the end, after seeing his side creating several chances.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We should have put away this team from the first half by at least three goals," said Blaine, who is also the national women's coach.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"In this type of a final you must put away your chances to go away with an advantage...", Blaine added. "We didn't do that today and we push them back into the game."<P class=StoryText align=justify>After being edged twice by Meadhaven in the earlier rounds, Olympic Gardens took the attack to their nemeses and surged ahead as early as the sixth minute.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Alicia Mullings sent the lassies from Cling Cling Oval into the lead when she slotted home goalkeeper Kemeesha Heath's rebound.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But 11 minutes later Meadhaven hit back through Jodi-Ann Smith, who won the race ahead of Olympic Gardens' goalkeeper Latoya Reid to score.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As the game went on, another close battle was on the card, like the previous encounters that Meadhaven won 2-1 and 3-2.<P class=StoryText align=just
<SPAN class=Subheadline>But Olympic grab 2-1 lead in 'A' League final</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Andrew Hancel
Thursday, December 07, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=208 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Taneisha Vassell (left) of Harbour View battles Portmore Strikers' Venicia Reid during yesterday's first-leg final of the Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League at Constant Spring. The teams drew 1-1. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore Strikers and Harbour View FC will have it all to play for on Saturday, as both teams played to 1-1 tie in the first leg of the Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League final at the Constant Spring playing field yesterday.<P class=StoryText align=justify>However, in the 'A' League final, Olympic Gardens came away with the advantage after beating, for the first time, Meadhaven United 2-1 in the curtain-raiser.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Tanisha Vassell scored in the sixth minute to give Harbour View the lead when she fired home a 20-yard strike which hit the inside of the upright before going in.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Portmore Strikers then equalised five minutes after the resumption through Rochelle Bryan, whose 35-yard shot surprisingly beat national goalie Paula Jackson.<P class=StoryText align=justify>National striker Venicia Reid was punished for her indiscipline by Portmore's coach Cornell Clarke, who replaced the tricky forward just before the restart with defensive player Lorrain Solomon.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It was a (difficult decision), but she was showing some dissent and we don't stand for that. Hence the reason for her (substitution)," Clarke explained.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Harbour View remained the more dominant team throughout the game, while Portmore muffed a few chances of their own. Play-maker Kimmia Parker dominated the midfield for Harbour View, and almost put her side in front again on the hour mark, but her free-kick smacked the crossbar.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It was a tough game," Clarke told the Observer at game's end.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We had some problems with players... we had... only 14 players in our squad today. But we're glad for the point considering that we came here with a skeletal squad," he added, while expressing confidence that his girls will put on a better show in the second leg.
Portmore's coach Vin Blaine was a very disappointed man at the end, after seeing his side creating several chances.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We should have put away this team from the first half by at least three goals," said Blaine, who is also the national women's coach.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"In this type of a final you must put away your chances to go away with an advantage...", Blaine added. "We didn't do that today and we push them back into the game."<P class=StoryText align=justify>After being edged twice by Meadhaven in the earlier rounds, Olympic Gardens took the attack to their nemeses and surged ahead as early as the sixth minute.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Alicia Mullings sent the lassies from Cling Cling Oval into the lead when she slotted home goalkeeper Kemeesha Heath's rebound.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But 11 minutes later Meadhaven hit back through Jodi-Ann Smith, who won the race ahead of Olympic Gardens' goalkeeper Latoya Reid to score.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As the game went on, another close battle was on the card, like the previous encounters that Meadhaven won 2-1 and 3-2.<P class=StoryText align=just