Though Leon Strickland scored a hat-trick for hosts Waterhouse, the Drewsland side still crumbled to Tivoli Gardens, 3-4, in their penultimate fixture of the fizzling National Premier League (NPL) yesterday.

Strickland - formerly of Arnett Gardens - got his goals in the 30th, 72nd and 75th minutes, but his gallant effort was cancelled by strikes from Tivoli's Craig Stewart (39th), Jermaine Bailey (51st), Jermaine Gray (63rd) and Roland Dean (81st).

The result pushes Tivoli points tally to 65 as they consolidated their second spot, while Waterhouse remained fifth with 47 - a modest sum by their standard.

In front of a sparse crowd even though there was no charge for entry, both teams played defensively and displayed goalkeeping ineptitude. And the seven goals aptly tell the story, because most, if not all, were gained bereft of a pattern of offensive build-ups.

Take for example Stewart's goal for Tivoli. The midfielder got on the scoresheet when his 25-yard free-kick, aimed straight at the goalie Kelso Cousins, unbelievably slipped through the latter's outstretched hands and into the goal.

And Strickland's second strike, too, was a joke as he effortlessly lobbed an out-of-place Kwesi Campbell in goal, having earlier sauntered past the Tivoli defensive line.

In another match of the top six teams, champions Portmore United defeated Sporting Central Academy 2-1 at Brancourt with Steven Morrissey (32nd) and Anthony Modeste (76th) scoring for the victors, while Levaughn Williams got the consolation.

Waterhouse - Kelso Cousins, Leon Strickland, Narado Brown, Weston Forrest (Jahmali Spence 75th), Roberto Fletcher (Newton Sterling 58th), Kirk Ramsey, Kenardo Forbes, Mark Miller, Oneil Thomas (Safel Simpson 68th(, Roger Rodney, Michael Stone.

Match Commissary: Owen Powell

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