A sixth-minute strike from Stephen Williams propelled Waterhouse to a 1-0 win over August Town and into the quarter-finals of the Flow Champions Cup All-Island knockout competition.

In the all-Premier League encounter, home team Waterhouse struck early when Williams picked up a ball inside the box and rifled home an unstoppable shot.

Waterhouse, the 2008 champions, then had to survive a tense final 20 minutes after the hard-tackling Roger Rodney picked up his second yellow card in the 73rd minute after close-lining substitute Kemel Mullings.

Waterhouse, who have been struggling since the start of the third round in the Premier League, saw coach Geoffrey Maxwell leaving six regular starters on the bench.

Topscorer Kevin Lamey, Jermaine Anderson, Kenardo Forbes, Keneil Moodie, Weston Forrest, and Jonathan Williams warmed the bench. The young striking pair of Andre Clennon and Darren Mattocks were supported by the experienced Vincent Earle, Hugh Howell, Nicholy Findlayson, Desmond Breakenridge, and Roger Rodney.

The improving August Town, who have climbed to eighth in the Premier League, 12 points adrift of Waterhouse, had to play without new signees Daniel Shaw, Fabian Dawkins and Theofore Bennett.

In front of a relatively small gathering on a cold and windy evening at Drewsland, Waterhouse got off to a dream start when Williams fired home in the sixth.

But August Town responded well with the ever-dangerous Akeen Thenstead, Asphas Bernard, Nicholas Smith, and Donovan Hibbert taking the fight to their more accomplished rivals. In the 40th, Smith thought he had equalised, little did he know his shot hit the hands of goalkeeper Moshell Nelson before hitting the crossbar and falling back into the hands of a grateful goalkeeper.

Smith had run off in the distance to celebrate, only to see Nelson starting another Waterhouse attack.

August Town continued to press for the equaliser, but to no avail, despite coming close on several occasions.