BY AINSLEY WALTERS, Staff Reporter
FILE - Village's Fabian Dawkins
IT'S AN OVER-used cliché but every match Waterhouse play from here on is indeed a final!
A win on the road against Village United tomorrow afternoon would pull the men from Drewsland two points off leaders Harbour View in the Premier League race.
Waterhouse, who have a game in hand, intend to make every point count in their relentless chase of Harbour View, who, at one point held a 13-point lead atop the league.
However, the last time Waterhouse visited Village's sprawling Elliston-Wakeland Centre in Trelawny, they raced to a 1-0 lead off Kevin Lamey's 56th-minute strike but gave up four goals in the final 15 minutes as Fabian Dawkins had a field day, booting in a hat-trick for a 4-1 win.
Fairclough, who was an assistant to Fitzgerald then, yesterday admitted Waterhouse played poorly in midfield and defence and paid the price.
"In the first game, the midfield was very poor and the defensive unit shouldn't mark as we should have," he pointed out.
Fitzgerald said Waterhouse got it right in the return match when his team returned the favour at Drewsland and will have to play similarly tomorrow.
"We worked it out in the second game and got 75 per cent of the things correct," he said.
"We looked the part in the second game because we did our homework and knew what Village were coming with."
Last week, Village hung on grimly for a 1-0 win at Harbour View, further spurring Waterhouse to take aim.
However, by Thursday the Villagers were swamped 4-0 by league champions Portmore United in the Red Stripe Champions' Cup knockout.
Waterhouse, who had beaten Constant Spring 3-1 in the knockout on Wednesday, will be aiming to punch Village while they're down.
"Each game from here on must be treated as a final," stressed coach Wayne Fairclough, who is yet to lose a match at Waterhouse's helm since taking over from Calvert Fitzgerald shortly after the second round started.
VISITING TEAMS
"Dropping a point or two is a no-no in Waterhouse's book. We just have to go down there to win," he said, before dismissing visiting teams' fears of Village's big field.
"Village have mastered the field but there are no ghosts in it," he added. "We will have to play a tight, man-marking game for 90 minutes."
A dangerous team on the counter, Village will be looking to the speedy duo of Dawkins and Teofore Bennett but if neither step to the plate they'll be in trouble against Waterhouse, who have far more options in attack.
In Corporate Area action, Tivoli Gardens, best movers of the third round, are at home against Arnett Gardens.
Tivoli share 38 points with Village and idle Portmore, who should have played Harbour View but are due to leave the island to play Mexico's Club America in the CONCACAF Club Championship on Wednesday.
The men from Railway Oval took out Tafari Lions of St. Elizabeth in Thursday's return match of the Red Stripe Champions Cup and were 2-1 winners over Harbour View in the league last week.
With all their stars in action, Jermaine Johnson, Christopher Nicholas, Roland Dean and Fabian Davis, Tivoli get the nod over Arnett, who haven't won a league match in three games.
Boys' Town should get the better of Reno at home whereas Seba against Wadadah could go either way at Jarrett Park.
Something will have to give at the foot of the standings when next-to-last Rivoli on 18 points host 17-point Constant Spring at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
GAMES ON
Boys' Town vs Reno at 3:00 p.m.
Seba vs Wadadah at 5:30
Rivoli vs Constant Spring at 3:00
Village vs Waterhouse at 3:00
Tivoli vs Arnett at 5:00
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