By Howard Walker, Staff Reporter 
Arnett Gardens defender Jerry Walters (right) lifts his foot high to clear the ball while challenging Waterhouse striker Roberto Fletcher, as Arnett's Gerald Neil looks on, during their Jackie Bell KO match at the National Stadium on Sunday night. Arnett won 4-3 on penalties. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
PERENNIAL rivals Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens set up a mouth-watering clash in the Western Union Jackie Bell Knockout on Wednesday February 9, with close semi-final victories over Constant Spring and Waterhouse respectively.
Defending champions Tivoli Gardens outlasted a rejuvenated Constant Spring 3-2, while neighbours Arnett Gardens edged their nemesis Waterhouse 4-3 on penalties after 120 goalless minutes.
The Jackie Bell knockout returned to the National Stadium and so too did Walter Boyd, to the place that he drew thousands over the years. Although he did not sparkle as fans would have loved, but just as Maradona did in the 1990 World Cup match against Argentina, he produced one moment of brilliance.
Boyd dismissed Victor Thompson and Steve Green at the edge of the box and when sweeper Kasai Hinds stepped up to close him down, Boyd played an inch-perfect pass to Steve Morrison who scored. But Boyd's moment of genius wasn't good enough to secure victory.
Glendon "Admiral" Bailey, coach of Tivoli Gardens, thought his team should have won by a wider margin but was nevertheless happy for the victory.
"We made it look hard with the amount of chances that we got. We should have put Spring away with ease. No disrespect to them but we created the chances," he said.
About his tactics on containing Boyd, Bailey said nobody knew who was to pick him up in the first half "but we solved it in the second half".
Bailey added: "He was somewhat out of the game. He is a very good player, but he wasn't any big threat to us today (Sunday) once we organized ourselves."
Meanwhile Danny Lyn, technical director of Constant Spring, bemoaned the three goals his side conceded in the first half.
"We gave up three soft goals. We made errors and Tivoli capitalized on the errors. But we came back and made a good fight in the end even though we came up short. You don't win championships by giving up goals," he reiterated.
DISPPOINTING PERFORMANCE
In the feature game Arnett Gardens squeezed past Waterhouse on penalties after both teams left their shooting boots at home and gave a disappointing performance.
Michael Tulloch once the most feared striker in the top league, especially with his head who is now the assistant coach of Arnett Gardens, was ecstatic and sees nothing but a victory in the final.
Said Tulloch: "We are in the final of the Jackie Bell KO and we hope to win that and use it as a catalyst for the remainder of the season.
Losing coach Peter Cargill said, "It became very difficult when we lost Desmond (Breakenridge) and went down to 10 but in a penalty shootout it can go any way.
"But it was a beautiful game of football. The effort was there we really to try to score the goals. It's just one of those days," said Cargill.
