By Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter
Hazard's captain, Wolry Wolfe, (10) is blocked by Waterhouse's Andre Hickling during yesterday's Premier League match at Ferdie Neita Park. Wolfe's teammate, Grenadian international Anthony Modeste, looks on. Waterhouse won 1-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
WATERHOUSE YESTERDAY ended Hazard's 18-game unbeaten Premier League streak, cutting short the league leaders' bid to qualify early for the second round final.
Demar Phillips' 31st minute free-kick beat goalie Maurice Evans for a 1-0 victory at Ferdie Neita Park, keeping resurgent Waterhouse joint second on 19 points, three behind Hazard.
Elsewhere around the Corporate Area, first round champions Arnett Gardens had to be content with a 0-0 away draw at Constant Spring whereas Harbour View came away 3-2 winners against hosts Bull Bay at Compound.
Harbour View were forced to rally from a goal down after Davian Laing's 26th minute free-kick had given Bull Bay the lead.
However, Fabian Taylor (33rd) cancelled out Laing's goal before Sean Frazer (45th) got his first goal playing for Harbour View's senior team. Oneil Martin secured a tie in the 49th minute but super substitute Nicholas McCreath's 82nd minute strike ensured victory for the Donovan Hayles-coached team.
At Railway Oval, mutiny-hit Reno United failed to show for their game against Tivoli.
At Ferdie Neita Park, Derrick Smith had brought down the tricky Roberto Fletcher just outside the penalty box on the right side of Maurice Evans' goal. Midfielder Phillips' ferocious right-footer directed at the near post fell in a clustered goal area and eluded the 'keeper.
Hazard were playing without Omar Daley plus the league's leading goalscorer, Roen Nelson, who was away on National duties as well as Kevin Deerr, down with the flu.
Waterhouse coach Calvert Fitzgerald dismissed suggestions that his team took advantage of a depleted Hazard side.
"We were missing key players also," he said. "English, our leading scorer, most inspirational player and captain, he was out. Weston Forrest, national Under-23 player, he was out and also our sweeper Patrick Reid."
The heroics of midfielder Wolrey Wolfe was just not enough to bring Hazard level. Fletcher found a liking to the outfield, using speed and fancy footwork to get the better of his opponents.
It was a rare occasion of silence at a football match for the Hazard spectators as the travelling Waterhouse spectators had taken over Ferdie Neita Park.
Fitzgerald said based on his team's form he was confident of victory.
"We knew we were going to do it," he said. "As I had said before, we knew we would be the one to stop Hazard because we have always played our best game against them and the way we are playing it is very hard for a team to stop us."
A very disappointed Lenworth Hyde, Hazard's coach, said his team "got a lot of chances".
"When you get chances and don't score them it will cost especially when you have a team like Waterhouse," he said. "They came out wanting it more than us. We had more ball position but we lacked shooting and that cost us the game."
