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By PAUL A REID Observer West writerThursday, June 07, 2007
FALMOUTH, Trelawny
An outstanding display by 16-year-old 'keeper Devaughn Hawthorn on Sunday led Duanvale to their first hold on the Trelawny Football Association's National Rums of Jamaica Major League title, after drawing 1-1 with Harmony in the return leg finals at the Elliston Wakeland Centre for a 5-2 aggregate win.
Despite winning the first leg 4-1 the previous week, Duanvale, with the weight of history against them, had gone into Sunday's final as the underdogs in the eyes of many fans - having choked at this stage many times before. Their win sparked wild celebrations and team members formed a procession with the trophy back to the community.
SWEET VICTORY. Duanvale's teenage goalkeeper Devaughn Hawthorne is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after his outstanding performance in Sunday's Trelawny FA National Rums of Jamaica Major League return leg finals against Harmony at the Elliston Wakeland Centre. Hawthorne pulled off several outstanding saves as his team drew the game 1-1 to win the title 5-2 on aggregate. /Photo: Paul Reid
Hawthorne who attends Muschett High pulled off a series of stupendous saves, including a penalty kick in the second half, as Duanvale made up for six previous losses in finals in the past nine seasons.
Duanvale won the $150,000 first prize, as well as the National Rums of Jamaica trophy and will be promoted to the Captain's Bakery Western Confederation next season.
Hawthorne, who was taken off the field on the shoulders of his teammates at the end of the game, kept his team in the contest as Harmony missed two penalty kicks and hit the bar on three other occasions.
Duanvale ended the game with just 10 men after captain Rawle Gentles was sent off with five minutes to go after picking up his second yellow card in the game.
With Harmony coming into the game in an attacking mode from the start, the pint size Hawthorne goalkeeper was kept busy and responded with the game of his life, pulling off several outstanding saves and also rebounded quickly from two crunching tackles in the second half.
He was off his line in the 20th minute to block Clayton Jenkins, injuring himself in the process then made a brilliant one-handed save five minutes later.
Oshane Spence had beaten two Duanvale defenders on the right wing and shot to the top left hand corner, but Hawthorne went to his right and used his left hand to bat away the ball to safety.
Two more saves followed in the first half, and five minutes into the second half, he guessed right to save a powerfully struck penalty taken by Carlington Johnson to preserve his team's lead.
When he was eventually beaten, it was a bad bounce from a long-range shot taken by Johnson in the 90th minute that bounced a few feet in front of him and veered into the net.
Duanvale had increased their lead over Harmony early in the game when Orlando Grey scored with just 28 seconds gone in the game.
Harmony's captain Odean Stewart lost the ball midway the Duanvale half on the right side, and a defender passed it to Adrian Mitchell, who relayed it to Grey who raced down the flank, cut in about 15 yards inside the area and let fly with a looping shot that sailed over the head of goalkeeper Coy Jenkins and settled in the far corner of the goal.
Duanvale should have killed the contest from the first half but Tafari Henry and Ebola Bryce contrived to miss a number of very easy chances.