Veteran striker Kevin Lamey came off the bench to score his 12th goal of the season and secured a 1-0 win for Waterhouse over fourth-placed Boys’ Town in their last Digicel Premier League second round game at Drewsland on Sunday.

The win catapulted Waterhouse into second place at the top of the DPL standings with 39 points, three less than leaders Harbour View, who are on 42.

The 80th-minute strike by Lamey was really a consolation as Waterhouse had already confirmed a place in the second end-of-round final by amassing 26 points from eight wins, two draws and a loss.

Having lost their first five games at the beginning of the season under his guidance and now winning his eighth in the second to top the round, coach Geoffrey Maxwell believes things are progressing nicely.

“The fact that we have achieved our objective by progressing from a poor start to the season to be second in the standings at the end of the second round is a good moral booster for team spirit in our thrust to win the Premier League, although we fell down in some areas,” he said.

The introduction of Lamey could not have come at a better time.

“I thought we brought on Lamey at a time when it was most prudent to do so and the move paid off with him getting the winning goal after we looked a bit disorganised before that,” said Maxwell, one of Jamaica’s most travelled coaches on the local scene.

Though he has got his team in the second round final, Maxwell noted that the long-term season goal remains winning the championship.

“Now reaching the end-of-round-final is a step in the right direction for Waterhouse, but winning the Premier League is the bigger picture as was stated before,” he said.

While Maxwell and his Waterhouse team members were looking ahead to Sunday’s second round final against Harbour View, his Boys’ Town counterpart Andrew Price was far from happy at game’s end.

“It was a spirited game where both teams played well. I do not like losing to our opponents by giving them goals. A defensive mistake in the last 10 minutes of the game gifted Waterhouse the game and that hurts. I did not think we looked as a team which wanted to win,” he lamented.

Teams: Waterhouse — Richard McCallum, Rohan Amos, Keneil Moodie, Weston Forrest, Hugh Howell, Nicholi Finlayson, Kemar Rodney, Kenardo Forbes (Damion Williams 69th), Kemar Thomas, Jermaine Anderson (Kevin Lamey 66th), Jonathan Williams (Andre Clennon 74th).

Subs not used: M Nelson, T Brown, R Rodney, V Earl.

Booked: J Williams (21st), Howell (22nd), Finlayson (28th).

Boys’ Town — Kirk Porter, Xavian Virgo, Asrick Samuels, Daemon Benjamin, Shawn McKoy, Jermaine Bailey (Oneil McDonald 85th), George Vernal, Peter Keys, Romondo Johnson, Andre Wheeler (Dean Thompson 69th), Shane Edwards (Renae Lloyd 61st).

Subs not used: P Crumbie, M Morgan, R Scott, C Wright.

Booked: None

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Anthony Garwood, Lloyd Reader

Fourth Official: Wilverglen Lamey

Match Commissary: Garfield Mc Donald