Photo: Kemar Beckford fires home from twelve yards to give Waterhouse a 1 nil lead in their Red Stripe Premier League game against Boys Town at the Barbican Complex on Sunday. The goal proved to be the winner as Waterhouse climbed above Boys Town to 9th place in the standings with two games left in the season for both clubs.
Waterhouse swapped places with Boys Town following a narrow 1-0 win in the Red Stripe Premier League on Sunday via a Kemar Beckford 13th minute penalty, as they continued to ease their way to safety late in the season.
In a game that both teams were desperate to win, Waterhouse started on the front foot, pushing the home team back and dictating play through captain Damarley Samuels. The speedy Beckford and the willing Rodave Murray up front, also proved a handful for Boys Town. The inexperienced Boys Town defence had trouble keeping pace with the Waterhouse attack and it was the wily veteran Andre McFarlane who earned the penalty for Waterhouse. The former Tivoli man weaved his way into the box and young Kevon Wilson stuck out a leg that tripped the forward to concede the spot kick. A confident Beckford made no mistake from twelve yards, firing it into the right corner even though Kirk Porter guessed the right way.
But the game was turned on its head when McFarlane was sent for an early shower in the 27th minute for using insulting and abusive language that was aimed at referee Odette Hamilton
The home team took advantage of having the extra man and pushed the visitors back for the remainder of the half. Despite the territorial advantage, Boys Town failed to create any clear goal scoring opportunities, although Michael Campbell should have done better when the ball came to him through a sea of players but he forced his shot wide of the post.
Down a man but up a goal, the visitors played disciplined football in the second half to limit their opponent’s chances. Marshalled by the former Reggae Boy, Nicholay Finlayson, the Waterhouse defence stood firm and it was the Drewsland based team who looked more likely to score as Beckford ran his socks off for the team.
Jamiel Hardware who has been very influential for the Boys Town team in the last few weeks failed to spark and so did the Andrew Price unit, that came into the contest on the back of a four game win streak.
Their leading scorer Shamar Nicholson failed to trouble Romaine Bowers in goal as midfielders Garfield Gillespie and Daemion Benjamin failed to find the lanky forward in good positions.
A late surge in stoppage time saw the Boys Town team apply significant pressure but the Waterhouse defence remained resolute to claim three valuable points in the fight for survival.
The win moved Waterhouse up to 34 points and ninth place, two ahead of Boys Town who are in tenth place with two games to play.
Neither team is safe as 11th place Jamalco on 29 points and 12th place Marveley/Hughenden on 28 points with a game in hand on all three teams just above them, can still catch Waterhouse and Boys Town.
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