Football
Andre Lowe 9y

Waterhouse seek revenge against Montego Bay United

It has been a year since Montego Bay United destroyed Waterhouse 5-2 in the final of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), Jamaica's top football league. And with the two old foes strapping on their holsters for Monday's semifinal first leg, there's a sense of real anticipation.

It's not like these two needed any additional motivation, but last year's humiliation of Waterhouse has definitely served as a much-talked-about sub-plot in the build-up to Monday's showdown. It's Western Jamaica, the one-time centre of Jamaican football, vs. one of the urban kings; defending champions vs. desperate contenders.

Hold on to something, folks, we are bound to see a shootout in this one. Waterhouse, boasting the island's second best attack with 56 goals, will look to draw first blood at the Drewsland Stadium against Jamaica's fourth best attack in Montego Bay with 42 goals.

The only thing that will be missing come Monday is some tumbleweed rolling across the field and the theme from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" playing in the background.

Montego Bay, who finished the preliminary round in third spot on 53 points -- seven behind second- placed Waterhouse -- will walk out to a notoriously fiery Waterhouse crowd as the underdogs. It won't help Montego Bay supporters' confidence that they have only won a mere four of their 16 matches on the road this season, but they can take heart from the fact that they have twice beaten two-time champions Waterhouse in Drewsland in the past two years: 3-0 in 2014 and 1-0 in the previous season.

Waterhouse, the community that gave Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to the world, have only lost four games at home this season. They were pretty impressive in their 3-0 blanking of Monday's visitors the last time they welcomed them to Drewsland in September.

In fact, visitors to Drewsland have been busy, taking the ball out of their own net on 38 occasions this season, making Waterhouse the most dangerous team at home. And with marksman Jermaine "Tuffy" Anderson -- the favourite for top goal-scoring honours -- in a bullish mood, who is going to bet on Waterhouse adding to that number?

Still, things have been pretty close between these two teams since the rebranded Montego Bay returned to top-flight football in 2011. The Western Jamaica flag-bearers have won five of their 13 meetings to Waterhouse's four, with the remaining four games ending in draws.

Montego Bay United's history is a long and successful one. Formerly Seba United -- a pillar of Jamaican club football with two national titles -- it's today's stars, such as Dino Williams, Allan Ottey and the talented and dynamic Bahamian striker-turned-right-back Lesly St Fleur, who will be hoping to continue carving their names in the club's rich heritage.

They better carry their chisels with them. There's hardly a better time or place to start.

^ Back to Top ^