WATERHOUSE walked away with full points from home team Arnett Gardens in their 17th round Digicel Premier League (DPL) fixture at the Anthony Spaulding Sport Complex, but had it not been for outstanding defensive work in the second half, Kevin Lamey’s first-half strike would have been in vain.

Undefeated since the start of the return-leg and hell-bent on maintaining this position, Waterhouse went in search for an early lead with a forceful attack on their opponents on Sunday night, but Arnett Gardens would have none of this and held the high-riding Drewsland-based team at bay until late in the half when the visitors won a free kick some five metres from the corner flag.

Lamey then met the resultant spot kick from skipper Kenardo Forbes with a firm head which flew past goalkeeper Leighton Murray to give Waterhouse the narrow lead at the break.

Not daunted and relying on their home advantage, Arnett returned for the second

half with more purpose

and began to dictate terms. This apparently surprised Waterhouse as they gradually began to lose their shape as Arnett Gardens assumed greater control in a mostly one-sided second half.

But Waterhouse defence showed maturity by keeping the Arnett Gardens strike force of Ricardo Smith, Kevin Wilson and Leon Strickland in check. And goalkeeper Richard McCallum was in fine form as well and executed a truly marvellous save by digging out a well-directed arrow-like shot from nestling into the pigeon hole in the 83rd minute.

Coach Geoffrey Maxwell thought it was an ugly game but “we got three points which is the main objective when you step on to the field”. “We had the better of the exchanges in the first half, but fell away in the second to give up the mid- field to the home team, (but) defence I thought we played well; we are maturing and growing from strength to strength,” he said.

Player/coach of Arnett Fabian Davis, who substituted himself after 60 minutes, acknowleged his team’s second half performance. “We played pretty well in the second half; what was lacking, however, was the ability to score, but we are working on that part of our game diligently,” he said.

TEAMS:

Arnett Gardens — Leighton Murray, Anthowe Dawkins, Rasheede Clarke, Nicholas Dodd, Cornel Chin-Sue, Kwame Richardson (Lennox Creary 81st), Leon Strickland, Kevin Wilson, Rohan Reid (Oneil Robinson 74th), Ricardo Smith, Fabian Davis (Kevin King 60th)

Subs not used: D Hyatt, W Richards, J Grey, G Neil

Booked: None

Waterhouse — Richard McCallum, Nicholi Finlayson, Rohan Amos, Roger Rodney, Roberto Fletcher, Hugh Howell, Vincent Earl (Damion Williams 80th), Jonathan Williams, Kenardo Forbes, Kevin Lamey (Darren Mattocks 88th)

Subs not used: M Nelson, D Lewis, W Forrest, A Clennon, J Anderson

Booked: J Williams 27, Howell 30, Fletcher 52, Amos 65, Finlayson 75

Referee: Dave Peterkin

Assistants: Ricardo Morgan, Nicholas Anderson

Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle

Match Commissary: Horace Lewis