Howard Walker, Staff Reporter

WATERHOUSE CAPTURED the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association's (KSAFA) President's Cup Knockout with an exciting 1-0 win over Harbour View at the Compound on Monday night.

Roberto Fletcher, wearing the number 10 jersey, side-footed home from close range in the 15th minute of the 40-minute match.

Waterhouse, the reigning Premier League champions, walked away with $32,500 and their first of what they claim will be five titles this season.

Harbour View pocketed $22,500 for the runners-up spot while Boys' Town and Duhaney Park received $12,500 each for third and fourth places.

The two-day knockout tournament, which started on Sunday at the Edward Seaga Stadium, comprised eight KSAFA teams.

The top four KSAFA teams from the Premier League were joined by the other KSAFA divisional and Jackie Bell champions.

Waterhouse, Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens represented the top Premier League teams. Boys' Town, the Jackie Bell champions; August Town, the Super League winners; Duhaney Park, the Major League winners, and University of Technology (UTech), the Syd Bartlett champions, completed the line up.

Tivoli failed to score

In the first round, Waterhouse edged August Town 4-3 on penalties after battling to a 0-0 draw in regulation time. Duhaney Park also prevailed on penalties, 3-2, over Tivoli Gardens after both teams failed to score in normal time.

Boys' Town squeezed past UTech 1-0 while Harbour View advanced after Arnett Gardens failed to show for their encounter.

In the semi-finals, Waterhouse knocked off the defending champions Boys' Town 5-3 on penalties following a 0-0 stalemate to advance to the final.

Meanwhile, goals from Nicholas Dodd (ninth) and Kavin Bryan (12th), propelled Harbour View to a 2-0 win over Duhaney Park.

The final pitted last season's arch rivals Waterhouse, the Premier League champions, against the team they chased and beat to the wire, Harbour View, in an epic battle.

For 40 minutes it was end-to-end stuff which had KSAFA president Stewart Stephenson on the edge of his seat.

"This is what the President's Cup is all about," he commented gleefully after every exciting play.

Andrew Williams, the winning coach of Waterhouse, said it was a nice tournament in terms of helping prepare for the coming season.

"It helped us to see where we are because we played against some good teams. I am really pleased with the tournament itself and what it gives us as a team," said Williams, the former Camperdown star in the 1980s.

"Any time Harbour View and Waterhouse meet it is a battle royal and today was no different but the best team won," added Williams, who coached at Bull Bay last season.

Meanwhile, Lenworth Hyde Sr., the new coach of Harbour View, also acknowledged the Cup was a good preseason tournament.

"It was a good tournament for the preseason and it showed you where your players have reached in fitness level. I am pleased with the fitness level but we have areas that we have to improve in and just have to work on that," said Hyde.