Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
A KEVIN Lamey hat-trick against Invaders last night ensured that Waterhouse remained in the hunt for the coveted $1 million bonus for winning the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
Lamey's strikes in the 51st, 74th and 87th minutes and Roberto Fletcher's effort in the 77th, gave Waterhouse a 4-0 victory which, in truth, should have been greater in front of their home crowd at the Drewsland Mini-Stadium.
The win means that Waterhouse advance to 67 points, breathing down the necks of Tivoli Gardens (67) and leaders Harbour View (71), who beat Reno 1-0 last night (see report in tomorrow's Gleaner).
The 0-0 scoreline at the end of the first half and the substitution of Uchechukwu Chinyere for Fletcher in the 42nd minute of play pointed to the woeful shooting of Waterhouse.
It began to get worrying as the misses became contagious, with Chinyere, Lamey and Irvino English squandering easy opportunities.
In the second half, Waterhouse fans thought they were in for much of the same as chances went abegging once again.
CAME TO LIFE
However, Lamey came to life with the introduction of substitute Weston Forrest, who began playing delightful passes around the park.
Lamey's first goal came from a Weston Forrest pass. Damion Powell received a beautiful change-ball from Fletcher on the left flank. Playing it down the right touch-line, Powell was delighted to see Forrest dart inside the box and play a delicate grounded square for Lamey, who was first to the ball with nobody in goal to perturb him.
Lamey's second was just as simple, with the League's perenniel danger man tapping another in.
Lamey put the icing on the cake with the fourth goal when he latched on to a through ball from Forrest and ran around the goalkeeper before showing great placement by finding the far post from an almost impossible angle.
Fletcher had earlier assured victory with a beautiful strike from 12-yards. After the game, Geoffrey Maxwell said he was happy for the three points but not about his team's play.
"Not a happy win but more a happy result. Today was more about looking at some of the reserves because we wanted to know what we had on the bench," said Maxwell.
Invaders coach Oliver Brown was also surprisingly pleased with the result.
"If you noticed, the players enjoyed the game and weren't worried about losing the game. So we are leaving happy," he said.
