Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
Waterhouse's Jermaine Grey (right) runs to the ball ahead of Portmore United's Onandi Lowe (second right) during their Wray and Nephew National Premier League football match at Drewsland Mini Stadium, yesterday. Waterhouse won 3-1. - ANDREW SMITH/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
AN IMPRESSIVE 3-1 home win against cham-pions Portmore United pulled Waterhouse within nine points of leaders Harbour View, as the curtains were drawn on the penultimate set of games in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League yesterday.
Roberto Fletcher, with a brace in the 63rd and 78th minutes, and Roger Rodney (4th minute) were the men on target for the Drewsland-based side, while Roen Nelson (9th) got Port-more's lone goal.
The win, which preserved Waterhouse's unbeaten home record, lifted Waterhouse to 42 points while Portmore remain fourth with 31, same as Arnett Gardens.
Harbour View, which scored twice in the last three minutes to draw 2-2 in the late game against Boys' Town, lead the standings on 51 points.
Fitzroy Anglin (58th) and Michael Campbell (60th) scored for Boys' Town, while Marcelino Blackburn (86th, 90th) revived the runaway leaders.
Former national striker Onandi Lowe, who helped to set up Portmore's goal with a delicate touch to Wolry Wolfe which killed the Waterhouse defence, was otherwise unimpressive in his 79 minutes on the park. And when he was replaced by Oneil McDonald, the packed house at Drewsland openly expressed their displeasure and booed him off the park.
CONTROVERSY
The game was not without controversy. Referee Hughill Thompson stopped the game for seven minutes deep in the first half to protest after a missile was hurled at one of his assistants. And late in the game, Thompson ejected Portmore's Omar Daley for insultive behaviour.
The referee had pulled a yellow card to caution the player for deissent but in the process of issuing the warning, Thompson said Daley committed a more serious offence which left him no option but to issue a straight red.
Portmore's coach Paul Young said: "We turned over the ball too many times in the second half and it cost us the game."
Regarding Lowe, he said: "He is still not 100 per cent fit so it is going to take some time. We have been losing so I cannot be satisfied. He needs to get himself in better physical condition, but, at the same time, he is trying to work hard so we just have to be patient with him.
"We are going through a rough time now. We just have to try and weather the storm. We played well for the first half."
Fletcher was the spark which started Watehouse's fire. From the get-go he was dancing on the right side while unsettling Portmore's defenders. But the ice breaker did not come from his flank.
Instead, it was from the left side where Kirk Ramsey was boss. After Daley fouled Ramsey, Vincent Earl's 19-yard free-kick was of pin point accuracy and Rodney could do no wrong.
Speaking of their champion-ship aspirations, Wayne Fair-clough, the Waterhouse coach, said: "I think they (Harbour View) need to lose a couple of games. We threw away our chances to get them back but we are still confident and hoping that we can catch them."
GOALSHEET
WATERHOUSE 3
Roger Rodney 4th, Roberto Fletcher 63rd, 78th
PORTMORE 1
Roen Nelson 9th
