Harbour View working to fortify defence - JPL set for Sunday restart after Hurricane Melissa-induced break

Newly appointed Harbour View FC head coach Vassell Reynolds says tightening the team's defensive structure will be top priority when they tackle Spanish Town Police FC at 3 p.m. at Harbour View Mini Stadium when the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) resumes on Sunday.

Six games are scheduled, including a matchup between newly minted Concacaf Caribbean Cup champions Mount Pleasant Football Academy, who will visit Dunbeholden on Sunday; and then on Monday when defending champions Cavalier welcoming leaders Montego Bay United for the 5 p.m. opening game of a Stadium East blockbuster doubleheader. Tivoli Gardens will play host to big cross-town rivals Waterhouse FC in the feature at 7:30 p.m.

FORCED BREAK

The JPL had been forced into a break following the passage of Category Five Hurricane Melissa, which wiped out western Jamaica.

As a result, the game involving St Elizabeth team, Treasure Beach FC (vs Chapelton Maroons), was postponed as the club was granted additional time to complete their restart preparations due to significant impacts suffered from Hurricane Melissa.

Treasure Beach, a seaside town in the country's southwest, was ravaged and the playing field in the community was left in an unplayable state, leaving them with nowhere to train.

They will resume league participation on December 21.

Prior to the break in competition, Harbour View struggled in defence, conceding the second-highest number of goals.

Currently 12th in the 14-team standings with eight points, Harbour View allowed 15 goals in their eight matches so far, while scoring eight. Only newcomers and bottom-placed Spanish Town Police FC, with 18 goals conceded, have fared worse defensively.

SOLID STRUCTURE

"The main thing that we have been working on over the past three weeks is to develop a solid structure that reduces the amount of goals that the team has been conceding," Reynolds said.

"When you look at the data, the team concedes two goals per game and at this level and for the Harbour View team to do well in this competition that just cannot work."

Reynolds highlighted that the extended break caused by Hurricane Melissa gave the team valuable time to address their defensive shortcomings.

"A lot of work would have gone in that part of us since the break that we had due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa, and so the main aim over the next couple of games is to consolidate and to get ourselves into a better position," he said.

"I think that based on a couple of friendly games that would have been played and based on the training and progress, things have been improving steadily and we are just looking forward to the resumption of the league and hopefully the boys can start the first game on a good note," Reynolds pointed out.

Harbour View, five-time JPL champions, finished 11th last season, a result Reynolds believes does not reflect the quality within the squad.

"I am not too certain what the issues were before, but what coaches have been focusing on are the statistics and the data based on the eight games that we would have played," he said.

"I think that based on the players and the experience that they have, we figure that the team should not have been in 12th position."

As it is nearing the January transfer window, Reynolds hinted that reinforcements are expected, even while noting that the current group of players are capable of lifting the team in the immediate future.

"Albeit we figure that for us to do well we must boost the squad with a couple of players in the transfer window in January, but the present unit that we have there, I think can assist us in consolidating our position in the league over the next four or five games," he said.