Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
RIVOLI UNITED fought off the efforts of the Waterhouse to come away with a much appreciated 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Red Stripe Champions Cup quarter-final clash at the Waterhouse Mini-Stadium last night.
Waterhouse started the better team and were justly rewarded with a 39th minute goal from the boot of Shane Edwards.
Rivoli, to their credit, never gave up and pulled one back in the 69th minute of play from a Garfield Reid strike.
In truth though, Waterhouse were more than a goal better than Rivoli - in the first half at least.
Stroking the ball around the park with delightful elegance, Waterhouse created numerous opportunities with the goalscorer, Edwards, guilty of spurning a few headed opportunities.
MISSED CHANCES
The most glaring of missed chances though came in the 10th minute when Edwards latched on to a ball with the goal vacant of custodian Moschell Nelson. He failed to bring the ball down however and the opportunity was lost.
Edwards made no mistake later on though when a cross from Weston Forrest was knocked back by Irvino English, with Rivoli doing a horrible marking job on him.
Edwards cranked up a torrid right-footer from inside the box that left nobody with any chance of turning aside the effort.
The second half was more of a fight than a football game as Rivoli began closing down spaces and squeezing the fluency from Waterhouse's boots.
Without knowing where a goal would come from, Rivoli held on to the hope that they could get back into the game and Reid obliged with a terrific 35-yard free-kick that left Richard McCallum motionless in his goal.
Both teams had opportunities to finish off the game with Reid knocking a ball wide of the target in the 72nd minute and Baris Johnson heading tamely to Nelson from inside the box in the 84th.
After the game, Waterhouse head coach Max Straw chalked up the result to the nature of the game.
"Well, that's football for you. Rivoli fought back very well and we didn't make use of all the chances we got," Straw said. "We are not worried about playing the second leg in Spanish Town because at this stage you have to be prepared to play at home and away," he said. Rivoli coach Harold Thomas was grateful for not having to play in Spanish Town with a goal disadvantage.
"It's difficult to beat us with one goal, we have a good attacking game. I am glad we pulled one back and never gave up any more," Thomas said.
