Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
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LAMEY
THE CELEBRATIONS have begun for Waterhouse F.C as with one game remaining, they have captured the Wray and Nephew National Premier League title, triumphantly ending a remarkable 13 point title-chase with a 1-0 win over Constant Spring at the Constant Spring Complex yesterday.
" No one can really know what it is like to be in sixth position at the end of the first round, and fight your way to seeing the lead whittle, tied and then win the league," an elated Wayne Fairclough, coach of Waterhouse, said.
"I don't think I can even properly explain the feeling, but I am overwhelmed and overjoyed on this huge occasion. Thanks to the rest of the coaching staff our sponsors and our discipline, things really went our way," he added.
The much anticipated grand finale between Waterhouse and former league leaders Harbour View, which is scheduled as the final fixture of the season, will now have little significance now.
Waterhouse's win puts them on an unassailable 68 points, while a 1-0 loss at home for former league leaders Harbour View against Boys' Town leaves them on 63 points with just that game to go.
TOP SCORER
Fittingly, it would be Waterhouse main man and the leagues top scorer Kevin Lamey who officially handed the title over to his team, which found themselves trailing Harbour View by 13 points as late as December.
In front of a sizeable congregation of brightly clad and jubilant Waterhouse fans, Lamey came off the bench to smack a ferocious free-kick from 25 yards for his 21st goal of the season. The 63rd minute attempt curled away to the left of Constant Spring custodian Kirk Williams, who while getting a touch to the ball, could not keep it out of his goal.
"I think that we did a good job with the way that we closed down their midfield and Kevin Lamey's goal was a peach," said Fairclough.
For Constant Spring, who now find themselves officially relegated, the feeling is a different one. Legitimate goalscoring opportunities, as they have been all season were few and far between. Their best chance fell to veteran striker Walter Boyd who attempted to answer Lamey's free-kick with a spectacular effort of his own just a minute later. He, however, saw his effort punched away by Waterhouse keeper Maurice Evans.
However, Spring coach Maurice Lyn believes it may be a blessing in disguise.
"Sometimes it is good to go down, rebuild and come back up. I think basically the ball did not bounce our way this year, we lost and drew a couple of games we really shouldn't have," he reminisced.
"We have a fairly inexperienced team but the records will show that we were competitive throughout. We fought well and hopefully we will be back again next year," Lyn added.
