Boys' Town's Denzil Watson. - File photo

WATERHOUSE coach Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor couldn't have described his team's performance any better.

"It was a bad-finishing day," he said after watching visiting Boys' Town clip his team 1-0 in Red Stripe Champions Cup quarter-final action at Drewsland on Thursday night.

Striker Denzil Watson scored Boys' Town first real chance of the match in the 71st minute when he outfoxed his marker, Oneil Thomas, by moving from behind the defender to volley in a cross from the left flank.

Boys' Town lived dangerously before Watson's strike gave them what could effectively be a two-goal lead, on the away goal rule, heading into next Thursday's second leg at their Collie Smith Drive base.

Waterhouse started fast and had Boys' Town defending early in the game.

Forward Jomo Gordon beat goalie Philmore Crumbie, but was denied by the crossbar 15 minutes after the opening whistle and Vincent Earle's volley was stopped by the right post four minutes later.

shot smothered

After the break, Waterhouse came out hard again but Earle's tame shot from 12 yards was smothered by Crumbie in the 47th minute.

Still under pressure, Boys' Town again came close to conceding in the 55th minute when Gordon's shot from inside the box beat goalkeeper Crumbie but a defender leapt high to head away what was a certain goal.

Attacking mostly down the flank, Boys' Town got their breakthrough when Troy Dawes whipped in what appeared to be an innocent cross as Watson was behind his marker when the ball was played into space.

However, the speedy striker timed his move perfectly and slipped in front of Thomas and caught goalie Maurice Evans flat-footed on his line.

"Some of the time you have to soak up the pressure," said Boys' Town's coach, Perry Bartley.

"I noticed in the latter stages of the first half, their legs were getting tired," he added.

Disappointed

Gaynor was left disappointed, saying Waterhouse did everything but failed to score.

"We did everything right, up to the goalline," he lamented. "Then we turned around and gave up a soft goal."

He admitted next Thursday's second leg will be a big challenge at Collie Smith Drive.

"We spread our beds hard so we just have to go to Boys' Town and score two goals," he said.

In the day's other match, August Town stunned Village United 4-0 at the UWI Bowl off goals from Ross Burton in the 39th and 72nd.

Tremaine Stewart netted a penalty in the 58th and Zico Herrera rounded off the tally six minutes from time.

Editor's note: August Town played Village and not Wadadah at the UWI Bowl. A report in yesterday's Gleaner said August Town had beaten Wadadah. We apologise for the error.