THE new coaching arrangement installed by the Waterhouse FC management
recently appears to have resurrected the winning attitude in the senior
team, which recorded their second successive win in the Digicel Premier
League defeating Portmore United 1-0 in their opening fourth- round
match at Drewsland on Sunday.
The victory places the Drewsland-based team a firm fourth with 50
points, after starting the day joint fourth with Portmore, and improved
their position to challenge Harbour View on 51 points for the overall
third spot at the end of the season.
The winning goal came against the run of play from Kemar Rodney, who
profited from a poor clearance by the Portmore defence and lashed home
from 22 yards. The rookie defender was well placed at the centre of goal
to intercept a miss-placed clearance just before half- time and made no
mistake with a firm low shot which eluded everyone included goalkeeper
Gracie McPherson.
The win gave Waterhouse the important three points in this the
championship round, and their second consecutive victory over Portmore
United who also lost 0-1 to their hosts in their final-third round game
at home.
With both teams locked on 47 points going into the match with Portmore
marginally ahead on goal difference, a keen tussle for parity developed
early in the game with Portmore being the more dominant. The Linval
Dixon-coached team launched a series of attacks on the goal of their
hosts but many of their efforts were off target and this came back to
haunt them at the end with their best effort coming from Steven
Morrissey's well directed shot in minute 25.
This goalkeeper Richard McCallum struggled to scramble around his left upright for a corner.
Coach Anthony Patrick was pleased with the results, since taking charge
of the senior team along with Marcel Gayle: "I am heartened by the
result to end the third round with a win and to begin the fourth round
on a winning note. This is great encouragement and what we have asked
the players for is an effort to finish the season on a high."
Losing counterpart Dixon was disappointed for failing to make "better
use of the chances created, especially in the first half". "We'll have
to access our situation in the team where goalscoring is concerned for
the future, but for now we will have to do our utmost in winning the
three remaining games," Dixon emphasised.
Teams: Waterhouse -- Richard McCallum, Keneil Moodie, Rohan Amos, Odain
Simpson, Hugh Howell, Kemar Rodney (Jermaine Fletcher 82nd), Weston
Forrest, Stephen Williams, Akeem Thenstead (Adrian King 53rd), Kenardo
Forbes, Jermaine Anderson
Subs not used: J Plunkett, P Keyes, N Bailey, Conrad White
Booked: Forrest (80th), Williams (88th)
Portmore United -- Gracie McPherson, Adrian Reid, Keithy Simpson, Upston
Edwards, Eric Vernon, Andrew Vanzie, Ricardo Cousins, Ricardo Smith
(Shauntel Mundle (69th), Errol Stevens (Tevin Skyers 66th), Steven
Morrissey (Andrew Christie 81st), Tremaine Stewart
Subs not used: D Brown, R Bedward
Booked: Stewart (80th), Vernon (88th)
Referee: Courtney Campbell
Assistant Referees: Stacy-Ann Greyson, Lloyd Reader
Fourth Official: Kevin Thomas
Match Commissary: Anthony Gibbs