Leaky defence is top priority for Harbour View

Newly appointed Harbour View FC head coach Vassell Reynolds says tightening the team’s defensive structure will be the top priority when the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) resumes on Sunday. Harbour View have struggled at the back this season, conceding the second-highest number of goals in the league.

Harbour View, currently 12th in the standings with eight points, have 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.

“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 for Harbour View 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 area 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 we have 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 and missed the playoffs, a result Reynolds believes does not reflect the quality within the squad.

“I am not too certain what the issues were before, but the coaching staff has been focussing on 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 the team should not be in 12th position.”

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, Reynolds hinted that reinforcements are expected, but he noted that the current 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 I think they can assist us in consolidating our position in the league over the next four or five games,” he said.

Harbour View are set to face Spanish Town FC when the league resumes on Sunday, December 7.