Waterhouse's English
Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
AT 5:00 P.M. today the bell will chime signalling the start of the 15th Jackie Bell Knockout final between two of the most successful teams in the competition, Arnett Gardens and Waterhouse, at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
That game will be the feature of a Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) confederation doubleheader. In the 3:00 p.m. opener Rockfort and Boys' Town rumble in a Super League game.
For defending champions Waterhouse today's final will be their second in seven days having lost on penalties to Hazard in the Wray and Nephew end of second round final last Sunday. A repeat of that result they will be trying to avoid at all cost today.
"We have reached two finals and we'd definitely love to win one. We didn't win the first one against Hazard so we'll be going all out to secure our first title of the season," said Waterhouse coach Calvert Fitzgerald who turned around the form of his team in the months of December and January.
Within that stretch of good form Waterhouse defeated a then struggling Arnett Gardens 1-0 at this same venue in their second meeting of the football season. In their first clash, Arnett Gardens, who are the defending NPL champions and champions of the first end of round final in that same competition, Waterhouse lost 2-1.
Following their mid-round slump in the NPL Arnett Gardens are finding their footing once more.
"Based on our past three games, the team is getting back into the form it was in during the first round, it's a matter of how much we want it," Arnett Gardens' coach, Jerome Waite, said of his team and the game.
"We have a good chance," he continued. "In our past three games we came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Seba, we beat Harbour View 2-1 in the Premier League and 3-0 in the semi-final (of this competition), so the goalscoring aspect is up, the team has struck form in that department."
Fitzgerald agreed with Waite that the game is about the hungrier team.
"A final of this nature will definitely be who wants it more," he said.
"We've earned the right to be in the final based on our performance, we're there deservedly, we're not overawed by the situation," he continued.
In captain Irvino English, the man who leads Waterhouse in scoring from defence, Fitzgerald could not hope to find a player with a greater will to win.
Damion Powell is probably his equal in that department and the likes of Damion Williams, Andre Hickling, Roberto Fletcher and goalkeepers Gregory Hall and Loxley Reid are not far behind.
Added to that bunch is the veteran Leo Haughton who will make his first start for the club this season after returning to the club and football.
Arnett Gardens will rely on a fit again Kevin Wilson, a still not 100 per cent Walter Boyd on the front line as well as Cornel Chin-Sue, Everton Bunsie and the defensive line led by the fearless Gerald Neil.
