Sport

Cargill taking things in stride at Waterhouse

By AINSLEY WALTERS, Staff Reporter

Peter Cargill...new Waterhouse coach - Ian Allen

PETER CARGILL SEEMED right at home on Waterhouse's bench.

The former national assistant coach was his old self, watching the flow of the game intently as Waterhouse matched skills against rivals Arnett Gardens in Sunday's pre-season warm-up at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Waterhouse lost 1-2 but Cargill, who took over the reins last month, believes his coaching experience at the highest level will make the Drewsland men genuine title contenders this season.

"It's my job and I love it," said Cargill, explaining that it wasn't hard to accept the job at Waterhouse for the 2004-2005 Premiership season after being sacked as Jamaica's Under-23 coach earlier this year following his failure to qualify a talented bunch of junior Reggae Boyz for the recently concluded Athens Olympic games.

A former national captain, Waterhouse is Cargill's second stop as a coach at the Premier League level. Fresh out of Jamaica's 1998 World Cup appearance, he was wooed by Harbour View, taking over from Clyde Jureidini at the start of the second round and took the Stars of the East to the semi-finals.

Play professionally

The following season the former Camperdown Manning Cup player, who later went on to play professionally in Israel, delivered the goods, handing Harbour View their first and only Premiership title in 2000-2001 as well as the Federation Cup two years in a row.

Waterhouse badly needs a title-winning coach to return Drewsland to its Geoffrey Maxwell heydays when the side won the Premiership in 1997 fresh out of Major League promotion two seasons earlier.

Last season they remained in contention by riding the coattails of a first round title that earned the club three bonus points but that still wasn't enough to make the semi-finals.

Could Cargill be Waterhouse's answer?

"We started working the first week of August, having training on and off because of the hurricanes and work being done on our field," he told STAR Sports yesterday.

"We just had our second week of training at Drewsland and apart from English and Powell, who arrived in the island a week ago, the players have been there."

In a previous warm-up game, Waterhouse drew 0-0 with Arnett and beat his old club Harbour View 2-1 last Wednesday.

At Waterhouse, Cargill has inherited an experienced line-up from Kenneth 'Bop' Campbell, who had stepped in as interim coach midway the third round last season after Harold Thomas was given the boot.

Kevin Lamey remains one of the most dangerous local strikers and teammates such as Damion Powell, Irvino English, goalkeeper Loxley Reid, Craig White and Demar Phillips are eager to add the 2004-2005 Premiership to the Federation Cup knockout crown they won last season with Edwards in charge.

Cargill can hardly compalin, Waterhouse's management seem intent on providing the tools, a new turf and two Super League stars to boost his squad, Santos' Richard West and Richard Edwards.

Biggest fan

However, Waterhouse boast one of the biggest fan bases in the Premier league and expectations exceed the thousands who cram into Drewsland on any given Sunday.

"There'll be expectations at all levels," Cargill reasoned. "I'm hoping I'll be able to fulfill most of their aspirations and expectations but the only way we can do that is together.

"We have some experienced players in our group and I'm hoping to mix that with youth to strike a balance for efficiency. Hopefully, my experience can help, show a little more to enhance what they've already been doing."

Cargill hopes to add the finishing touches to Waterhouse, which has rapidly improved its management structure and facilities since last season.

"I'll be trying to get the club a little more organised in all aspects, he said.

"It's not just on the field. It also has to do with player-management relationship," he added. "It's very important to have everything in place to enhance the players' performance."

Waterhouse will open their Premier League campaign against Village this Sunday at the Elliston Wakeland Centre and Cargill is expecting a good match-up from the beaten semi-finalists of last season.

"It's an interesting game, a good season-opener," he said. "We'll be taking it in stride, hoping to play well and come out with a good result against the Villagers."