Montego Bay United rally for share of spoils at Drewsland

BY HURBUN WILLIAMS Observer writer

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

TWO cops were injured from missile throwing incidents, as Waterhouse failed to take advantage of a splendid first half against Montego Bay United in their first home match in the Red Stripe Premier League Monday Night football under lights at Drewsland on Monday. The game ended 1-1.

A listless second half by Waterhouse almost undid efforts of the first half which let in Montego Bay United to earn a late equaliser in the 84th minute from the tactically late substitute Allan Ottey, who came off the bench in the 79th minute.

It was a splendid effort from both teams who seemed to have enjoyed the cool late evening kick-off at 9:15 pm and responded appropriately.

However, earlier off the field matters attempted to derail on field matters at the beginning of the game when a small minority of patrons who instigated a fracas that held up the start of play for about seven minutes after the two cops — District Constable L Brown from the Duhaney Park police station and Constable Sean Martin from the Olympic Gardens police station — received deep facial wounds from stone-throwing incidents. DC Brown received a deep gash above the right eye and had to be taken to hospital, while Constable Martin's punctured face was attended to by the medical personnel in attendance from Ambucare. A spectator who also received an injury to the back of his head was attended to by Ambucare. One man was arrested in the aftermath.

The fracas did not seem to dampen the on field action as Waterhouse, playing with great gusto and panache from the opening whistle before an almost capacity crowd which turned out, went ahead in the 29th minute of play with a brilliant header from Jermaine Anderson.

Anderson, the club's leading marksman with 10 goals, was well placed to meet a well-directed free-kick from Theo Brown on the right of goal with equal aplomb to jolt Montego Bay United and send the partisan crowd wild with satisfaction.

While Waterhouse dictated terms by being faster to the ball in the first half, it was the visitors who slowed the game in the second session to take charge and earned themselves an honourable draw. Resident coach Donovan Duckie and visiting coach Neider Dos Santos expressed the view that their teams should have won the game but after finding the equaliser Ottey said: "I am contented with a point. It's much better than going away empty handed."