By Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterSECOND ROUND final contenders Village United yesterday cowered to a 1-1 draw against Waterhouse at Drewsland, sentencing themselves to 19 points and a do-or-die match-up against Portmore United Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of making the Wray and Nephew Premier League second round final.
The visitors crept into their shells following Nigerian Uche Chinyere's 27th minute equaliser, which cancelled Warren Ukah's goal five minutes earlier.
OFF-TARGET FORWARDS
However, Waterhouse's off-target forwards failed to punish Village, who also had goalie Elvis Hart to thank for keeping his attackers at bay.
Coach Lloyd Williams conceded his team went to bed after dominating and opening the scoring.
"It's a problem we've been working on," he said. "After scoring, the team keeps lapsing. We're still on track. If Portmore win, we just have to beat them at home Wednesday," he reasoned, not factoring Tivoli (21), whose fourth straight win also took them past Portmore (19), who drew 1-1 with Seba at Ferdie Neita Park.
Striker Kevin Lamey brought good saves out of Hart after the break, blasting on the run in the 48th and forcing an acrobatic tip from a 19-yard free-kick in the 55th but took one touch too many after beating his marker on the edge of the six-yard box in the 76th, allowing himself to be robbed of a clear shooting chance.
Chinyere, whose equaliser brought back life to Drewsland, got his chance to make the score 2-1 in the 82nd but booted high from angle after turning Preston Bernard on the left side of the box.
"I think it wasn't one of their better days," said Waterhouse assistant coach Barry Brown, noting his forwards inability to convert the many chances created.
"We were hoping to maintain the overall lead but we're still in the top half of the standings, striking distance of the semi-finals. Hopefully they'll be able to get it together for the next game," he added.
Los P win Manchester derby 2-0
Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer
Mandeville:
SOUTH CENTRAL Super League defending champions Los Perfectos defeated Porus 2-0 in a local Manchester derby yesterday to set off an interesting battle for early preliminary Group B honours.
Their win was set up by a goal each from new recruits Jamie Fothergill and Omar Stewart.
Fothergill was the leading goal scorer for Clarendon's Platinum, when it won the championship in 2001. He scored with a header from a left sided cross from captain Johnwary Knight in the 18th minute.
Stewart, who was recruited in the pre-season from St. Catherine team Old Harbour, scored midway the second half when he added the finishing touch from an attractive build up from midfield. Conceding the two goals was Jowel Messam, who interestingly, kept goal for Los Perfectos last season.
Yesterday's win pushed Los Perfectos to seven points, all of which have been earned in their last three games. They began the season losing successive matches against newcomers Arlington (St. Catherine) and Tafari Lions (St. Elizabeth). These two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in another group D encounter at the weekend, while Israel and Central Link ended 0-0 at Monymusk.
Three-way tie in KSAFA Super League
IT'S THREE the hard way as it relates to the standings in the JNBS/KSAFA Super League following Saturday's second set of round two games.
Mid-season champions Santos, Maverley/Hughenden and Boys' Town all have 25 points apiece.
However, Maverley/Hughenden, the beaten mid-season finalist, have a game in hand, having played 12 compared with Boys' Town and Santos' 13.
Meanwhile, both Santos and Boys' Town have an identical goal difference of 13 but the former, who blanked Real Mona 3-0, have scored more goals having netted 28 times this season to Boys' Town's 19.
On Saturday, Barbican got the better of Mountain View 2-1, Duhaney Park and JDF played to a 1-1 draw, so did Rockfort and Olympic Gardens while homesters Boys' Town were held to a goalless draw at home by Maverley/Hughenden.
At Boys' Town, Maverley/Hug-henden left with a point after both teams played to a tame 0-0 draw.
Home goalkeeper Kirk Porter squandered his team's best chance of rescuing all three points by dashing a penalty in the 24th minute.
Visitor Curtis Eldimire had handled the ball in the penalty area, resulting in the referee pointing to the spot. This was greeted by wild cheers from the scores of 'Colour Red' supporters on hand. However, their joy was short-lived as Porter's effort found the base of woodwork and rebounded into play.
Prior to earning the penalty, Boys' Town were up against the odds. The whistle had hardly gone when Maverley/Hughenden's 'little big man', Loxley Thompson, hit the crossbar with the aid of Porter's deflection that prevented it from finding a resting place in Boys' Town's net.
Andrew Price, coach of Boys' Town, said while the 0-0 draw was not a true reflection of the game, he was happy for the result which means they are still unbeaten.
"I thought it was a good game. Maverley came prepared to play. You are not quiet happy at home if you don't get all three points but we are happy with the one point," Price said.
Meanwhile, Dennis Duncan, the coach of Maverley/Hughenden, said that based on the internal problems his club is having, "coming down to Boys' Town and getting a point is really good".
-Daraine Luton
