Drewsland optimism
Underdogs Waterhouse banking on peaking at the right time
Published:Thursday | April 18, 2024 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
AFTER SQUEEZING into the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) playoffs on the final match day, finishing sixth on the same number of points as Montego Bay United, Waterhouse are looking to emulate what Arnett Gardens and Harbour View did in 2017 and 2022, respectively.
Arnett and Harbour View had ended the preliminary round in sixth and went on to win the league.
Waterhouse coach Marcel Gayle admitted that they have been as inconsistent as they have ever been over the course of a season.
However, in the last five games of the preliminary stage, Waterhouse had one draw and four wins on the trot, conceding just twice in the period – both goals coming in the same game.
That run has led Gayle to believe that Waterhouse are now playing at the level that could see them mount a serious title challenge.
“We haven’t been consistent since the start of the season, but in the last five games we have been consistent. We have been winning matches, scoring goals, and conceding very little.
“It is a knockout game, and we are down to fine margins and fine details. But it is highly likely (that Waterhouse can win the JPL). You can say we are the underdogs, but there have been a lot of positives and some negatives also. But we just want to stay focused and stick to the task at hand,” said Gayle.
Cross Town Derby
Tivoli Gardens, Waterhouse’s opponents in the quarterfinals of the playoffs next week, have beaten them twice this season, but Gayle is convinced that they have sorted out the issues that brought about those losses.
“It is always a keen contest. It is a Cross Town Derby and this rivalry is coming from in the [19]90s.
“They got the better of us twice this season, but we have looked where we went wrong in those games and have worked on it. Hopefully, this time around, we can do the things that we need to do to win,” he said.
“It is a brand-new game, a new atmosphere, and the crowd will be electrifying. It is two attacking teams, so you can expect fireworks from both teams.”
In 2019 and 2021, Waterhouse entered the playoffs as one of the tournament favourites but lost both finals to Portmore United and Cavalier, respectively.
Things are different this time around, and although they are big underdogs, Gayle believes that their chances are as good as any.
“We think we can win it. There are six teams left in the competition, and all six can win.
“We are in it to win it. Every season we try to win this competition, and that is what we have been preparing for all season.
“We have seen the highs and lows, and we just want to go out and leave it all out there on the pitch. We want to bring back the glory days to Drewsland, and so we will be leaving it all out there.”