Photo: Hughan Gray of Waterhouse on the go during the six goal thriller against Arnett Gardens in the Red Stripe Premier League semiifinals last night. Gray got the opener for his team from the penalty spot. The game ended 3-3.
Two of Jamaica’s most attacking football teams, Waterhouse FC and Arnett Gardens played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first of their 2-way semi-final of the Red Stripe Premier League on Thursday night at the Waterhouse Mini-Stadium in Drewsland.
The fans, usually arrive late for games but were packed into the stands from before the first whistle and had barely gotten their seats warm, on a cool night when mercurial Arnett Gardens forward Kirk Ramsey, volleyed home past Kelso Cousins, from close range following an exquisite control on his chest.
Arnett were ahead with only four minutes on the clock in front of a stunned home crowd.
Waterhouse response was swift in coming as they drew level in the 7th minute, via a Hughan Gray penalty after Oneil Thompson had brought down Juvaune Benjamin inside the area.
The game continued at a fast pace with the visitors swarming the Waterhouse midfielders denying them space to play their usual passing game. Arnett went ahead for a second time in the game when a Marcelino Blackburn free kick was met by a Ramsey header at the back post on minute 22 as the dangerous forward registered a brace with a quarter of the game played.
Arnett continued to apply the pressure and Waterhouse were lucky to escape going further behind when Nicholy Finlayson scrambled the ball off the line in the 34th minute.
Four minutes later Benjamin fired a free kick from distance straight at Peter Harrison. It was well struck but easily held in the end.
With the clock ticking towards half time, Arnett Gardens would have been hoping to hold on to their 2-1 advantage. Romario Campbell had other ideas however and side footed home from about three yards after good work by Kenroy Howell inside the area, in the first minute of first half stoppage time.
The home team were ahead for the first time in the game, five minutes after the restart when Campbell scored the second brace of the game with almost a replica of his first half effort. This time the assist came from his captain Damarley Samuels who showed great patience to pick out his teammate through a crowd of players.
The game became a feisty contest in midfield with tackles flying in from both sides, forcing referee Cardella Samuels to flash her yellow card more than once.
But the ‘Junglists’ roared back and drew level when Renae Lloyd headed home from inside the area to make it 3-3 in the 73rd minute. Cousins in the Waterhouse goal will feel he should have done better with the header.
Both teams made attacking substitutions in search of a winner but despite a few more near misses the game ended in a draw.
Anthony Patrick coach of Waterhouse was happy despite the result, “I am still happy despite the score-line. We will be going all out to win on Monday. The slippery state of the pitch cost us early but we recovered and probably should have won the game.”
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