WATERHOUSE recovered from a below par performance on Monday night to defeat former leaders Montego Bay United 2-1 and move back to the top of the Red Stripe Premier League on 50 points with second-half goals from Hughan Gray and Kenroy Howell at Drewsland on Thursday.

Montego Bay United dropped to joint third spot on 48, alongside Harbour View, but on an inferior goal difference. With this victory, Waterhouse need only to win against Tivoli Gardens in their match at Drewsland on Sunday to secure a semi-final spot.

Playing at a more leisurely pace than is their recent custom Waterhouse were jolted on the stroke of half-time with a late goal from Fabian McCarthy.

That, however, was short lived as “Firehouse” returned for the second half well pumped up and had put to rest their patient build up approach of the first half. They were more attacking and reward was instant.

Hughan Gray, moving back to his normal position of striker for this game, gave Waterhouse the equaliser seconds after the resumption. Using his good speed to telling advantage, Gray outran the Montego Bay United defence and with a thunderous right-foot shot on reaching the top of the 18-yard box, belted a screaming right-footed shot that travelled like a rocket to the near post of goalkeeper Duvaun Smith to lodge high in the pigeon hole.

Showing signs of being stunned, Montego Bay United came forward readily and enjoyed a fair amount of possession in the Waterhouse half until becoming neglectful at the back, seeing that their hosts were without their frontline strikers. Their neglect was to Waterhouse’s advantage, as entering the 59th minute ace midfielder Vincent Earle, who recently returned to the team following a long lay-off through injury, sent Kenroy Howell on his way with a long high ball.

The left-footed striker then controlled the ball before unleashing a power shot from just inside the box which goalkeeper Smith made a valiant attempt to hold as the ball slipped from his grasp and rolled agonisingly behind into an open net.