Waterhouse Host Harbour View In Top Of The Table Clash

Leaders Harbour View and second place team, Waterhouse, clash at Drewsland on Friday at 6:00 pm in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table encounter as action resumes in the Coca-Cola National U-21 League after a one week Easter break.

Harbour View are in pole position with 36 points, and are unbeaten in their last six games (4-2-0), while the red-hot Waterhouse contingent have 31 points, and have won an impressive eight of their last ten games (8-2-0). End-of-round champs, Portmore United trail in third with 30 points, while a surging Tivoli Gardens, unbeaten in their last six games (4-2-0), are a distant fourth with 25 points.

The last time Waterhouse and the “Stars of the East” met, Waterhouse clipped the league leaders 1-0 at the Compound so the pressure is certainly on Harbour View to reverse that result, and also to maintain their five point lead at the top of the standings. “It’s going to be a tough game, but we want to win and cut their lead to two points”, the league leading goal scorer, Jahmali Spence said. Spence credits the resurgence of Waterhouse U-21 team to the presence on the coaching staff of Waterhouse senior team player, Damion “Duttyman” Powell.

Coca-Cola U-21 Standings

In January Reno came to the Edward Seaga Sports Complex and scored a easy 2-0 win over Tivoli Gardens, but Tivoli will be seeking to exact their revenge on Reno on Friday when they travel to Frome for a 3:30 pm game. After back-to-back losses to both Waterhouse and Boy’s Town, respectively, Reno will have to work very hard to contain the speedy visitors from West Kingston.

Portmore United host Village United at the Ferdie Neita Park at 6:00 pm and should take full points from the struggling Villagers who are eleventh with 9 points. With the Portmore United U-21 team back to full strength following the return of Eric Vernon from national duties in Brazil, Portmore are picked to score their second easy win over the Villagers this season.

U-21 Leading Goal Scorers

Seventh placed Arnett Gardens with 21 points entertain St. Georges who are sixth with 24 points in a 5:00 pm game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex. Arnett are on a three game loosing streak while St. George’s have won two of their last three game so this game could go to the team that wants it the most. In their last encounter with St. George’s earlier this year at Lynch Park, St. George’s ran-out easy 3-0 winners and may enjoy a slight psychological edge.

In January, Sporting Central Academy visited Collie Smith Drive and came away as impressive 3-0 winners over Boy’s Town. On Friday, it is Boy’s Town’s turn to travel to Brancourt for a 3:30 pm quest against Sporting Central. The “Red Brigade” are in eight-place with 21 points, and have won their last two games, while Sporting Central lies fifth with 24 points, and have drawn their last three game.

Bottom-of-the-table August Town, who have amassed a mere five points in fifteen games, are away in the Lions Den to tenth-placed Seba United at 3:30 pm. After a keen 1-1 draw between the two teams in January at the UWI Bowl, August Town must be entertaining high hopes of scoring their first win of the season. But with five straight losses in as many games where they conceded a whooping fifteen goals and scored none, the prospect of that elusive first U-21 win of the season by August Town is very dim.

Waterhouse striker, Jahmali Spence, continues to lead all scores with eleven goals. Spence, who has been drafted in the Waterhouse Cash Plus NPL squad, is also an important starter in the club’s U-20 squad as they try to win championship honours in the 2008 KSAFA U-20 competition. “Jahmali is a Waterhouse homegrown talent and has shown tremendous potential”, said Waterhouse FC President, Peter Hibbert. Mr. Hibbert continued, “We want to expose Jahmali to the highest level of competition as we believe that the national junior programs must be looking at him.”