THE MANAGEMENT of National Premier League (NPL) first-round champs Waterhouse fired their technical staff, including head coach Harold Thomas, on Monday after a spate of disappointing performances in the second and third rounds.
Waterhouse were the top team in the first round of the NPL where it won seven games including the end-of-first-round final against Harbour View but since then has lost a number of games including an embarrassing loss to Star Cosmos.
In an interview with The Gleaner yesterday, Waterhouse executive Donovan White said that the disappointing performances prompted the management team to do something.
"There has been a string of below-par performances by the team and a break down (in the level) of discipline and the motivation of the team has been very low and we feel those are all (basic) functions of the technical staff," White said. "And if our coaching team is not able to achieve those then we are fighting a battle that we cannot win so we had to make a decision as to where we go from here."
"We feel we have put together the best talent available in the Premier league right now and it would be a travesty not to make the finals."
Thomas' assistants Frank Brown and Evon McKenzie were also dismissed. His third assistant Barrington Brown was retained by the club to continue his work with the Under-21 team until the end of the season.
Grant's strike gives Invaders a lifeline
Nodley Wright,
Freelan Writer
TRELAWNY TEAM Invaders, which had earned the dubious reputation of dropping points in the dying minutes of games, had Thomas Grant to thank for reversing its fortunes.
The pacy forward nodded home from close range a ball headed back across the goal by Yohan Grant in their Wray and Nephew battle on Sunday against fellow relegation battlers Seba United at Elliston Wakeland Sports Complex.
"This is the second time around (that we have won a game like this)," an extremely relieved Cassman Williams said after his team claimed full points. "We did it before against Constant Spring where in the last minute we scored a goal. A similar play took place today and we give God thanks for that," he continued.
With the win, Invaders moved up from second from bottom to ninth place in the 12-team league. Their 23 points place them above Reno (22), Seba (21) and the hopelessly fading Star Cosmos on 15 points.
For Williams, the points could not have been more welcome.
"We have a few players who have been working hard all of last week for these three points because we really need them to step out of the relegation fight and we are really grateful," added Williams who pointed out that they were missing a number of players in defense and had to reshuffle the team. With seven games remaining in the regular season Williams believes that another 11 points will guarantee them safety.
"We are looking for at least three more victories and maybe a couple of draws to ensure that we stay in the League.
"We are hoping that we can go away to Portmore next week and get at least a point there. We are not going to drop more than two points in the next game," he boldly predicted.
