Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sports

IT ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, goes the popular saying.

Barrington James did more than that, running to the sidelines and dancing up a jig after scoring an equalising goal for St Georges with the second-from-last touch of the game, to earn his team a 1-1 draw with Waterhouse, at Drewsland Mini Stadium yesterday.

Seasoned goalscorer

Newly-signed Jermaine Anderson, a seasoned goalscorer at Premier League level, showed his class by putting Waterhouse into the lead with a 23rd minute goal.

Apart from possibly one or two goal area skirmishes in the second half, St Georges, despite not playing badly, never appeared big threats and Anderson's strike looked a likely winner until James' goal, which was followed by a solitary touch from the kick-off, then the final toot of the evening from referee Kevin Morrison's whistle.

"Waterhouse do that everytime," retorted one of the hundreds of home fans who had packed the stands in soaking late afternoon rain, anticipating a victory that dissipated with James' last-gasp finish in the final seconds of three minutes added for stoppages.

It was a finish that which never appeared likely moments earlier as Waterhouse, playing for the clock, looked set to make the perfect start to the new season and take maximum three points.

Without established stars such as Kevin Lamey, Vincent Earle, Damion Powell, Damion Williams, and Irvino English only appearing as a sub near midway the second half, the home team still had more possession and with Anderson leading the attack, were more dangerous in attack.

Spirited breaks

St Georges, however, continued to hold their own and made some very spirited breaks as they persevered with some decent passing movements right down to the final minute.

It paid off when Daniel Shaw's curling kick from the left was met by James at the top of a crowded six yards box, from where he headed the ball, that lobbed gently into the net.

"Our defensive unit lapsed at the end," offered the team's coach, Wayne Fairclough. "We fooled around with the ball from which St Georges got a corner, from which they scored.

"It's gut-wrenching," he added. "No coach likes what you saw in the last 30 seconds.

"In the first half we played good enough to win," Fairclough noted as he pointed to their period of dominance. "We squandered our chances and in the end I think faulty shooting also let us down."

St Georges' point gave their coach, Geoffrey Maxwell, somewhat of a happy homecoming to Drewsland, where he had fashioned Waterhouse into Premier League championship material during the 1990s.

Encouraging start

"It's a very encouraging start," he said of the result. "It's very difficult to come and get a point at Waterhouse."

Maxwell added: "In the first half we gave Waterhouse too much room, which could've proved costly.

"In the second half we tried to take away the midfield from Waterhouse, which we were only able to do in the last 10 minutes."