MARC STAMP, STAR Sports

It was double delight for Harbour View Football Club on Monday evening as they received the Red Stripe Premier League trophy, as they also saw striker Jermie Lynch presented with the China Harbour Engineering Company Star Baller of the month award and cash incentive at the Harbour View Stadium.

Lynch won a plaque and $30,000 for his outstanding performance and disciplinary record during April where he returned from a two-month lay-off, because of a shoulder injury, and scored five goals in three games. He played in all four games for his club and received only one yellow card. In those games he was nominated twice by his head coach Vinimore 'Vin' Blaine.

He came in with the team not winning in eight games and played a critical role in the Stars of the East being crowned champions after a 2-0 win against Boys' Town at Collie Smith Drive last month. Lynch scored both goals.

Hard work

"It felt good to come back from injury and play a role in the team winning the Premier League title. We have been training since last July and the victory is as a result of the hard work that we did over that period," Lynch told STAR Sports when contacted yesterday.

"I played a Premier League game against Arnett Gardens on January 28 and a big defender fell on me during a challenge and my shoulder was hurt. I was advised by the doctor to rest but I still went ahead and played a Jackie Bell KO game four days later and fell again on the same shoulder," Lynch explained.

"After being out because of the injury, it was like I needed the rest. With the team not winning, coach Vin Blaine decided that I was ready and threw me back into the starting line-up and I did the job by scoring five goals in three games. It was good because the team wasn't scoring a lot of goals," he said.

Lynch had high praises for Blaine and the entire staff, the management team, players, and loyal club supporters.

"The team is a good mixture of youth and experience. The team is like a big family. We have confidence in each other."

With one game remaining against Portmore to be played this Sunday at Harbour View, Lynch's tally for the season is eight goals.

The striker also made a dream debut for the national senior men's team when he scored against Guyana in a friendly international last year at the Catherine Hall Complex in Montego Bay, St James. Although he scored in the 1-0 win, Lynch has not represented the Reggae Boyz since.

The 22-year-old represented Bridgeport High School in the Manning Cup and was a teammate of overseas-based professional Darren Mattocks.