WATERHOUSE opened their 2014/2015 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) campaign with a vengeful 3-0 victory over last season’s title race conquerors Montego Bay United in a postponed game at Stadium East on Thursday.

Waterhouse failed to get their game off the pitch in an organised fashion at the off and struggled to settle against their nemesis. They nonetheless profited from a mix- up around the Montego Bay goal area , allowing creative central defender Nicholy Finlayson to put his team ahead on the stroke of half-time.

The Montego Bay United players were enraged at the goal and it led to the eventual expulsion of goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett by referee Kevin Morrison in the 45th minute of play.

It appeared that a flag was raised on the far side by an assistant referee, after a ball was directed to a Waterhouse player in an offside position, but the player in question having seen the assistant referee’s raised flag, ignored his probable intention.

Nonetheless, referee Morrison, who was following the play, waved play on.

Garen Downie replaced Barrett in goal as Jerome Haughton gave way.

On the resumption Montego Bay United redoubled their efforts and even though a man short played much better than their hosts until the 82nd minute when defender Ladale Richie directed a stiff centre into his own goal from Waterhouse second-half substitute Adoah Nickle. The fire went out of the Montegonians’ fight and they eventually capitulated in minute 90+2 when substitute Neiko Williams debuted with a goal.

Anthony Patrick, the Waterhouse coach, said: “It is always encouraging to get your new season off to a winning start. We could have done much better judging from how we played, but I think it was over-anxiousness to score that contributed to the way we performed, despite scoring three goals.”

Montego Bay’s coach Carlos Garcia said: “Despite our loss to a very good team I thought we played well considering the circumstances surrounding the goal and the sending of Barrett to cause us to be a man short. How we played with 10 it would have been an interesting finish with both teams at full strength,” Garcia added.