THE new coaching arrangement installed by the Waterhouse FC management recently appears to have resurrected the winning attitude in the senior team, which recorded their second successive win in the Digicel Premier League defeating Portmore United 1-0 in their opening fourth- round match at Drewsland on Sunday.

The victory places the Drewsland-based team a firm fourth with 50 points, after starting the day joint fourth with Portmore, and improved their position to challenge Harbour View on 51 points for the overall third spot at the end of the season.

The winning goal came against the run of play from Kemar Rodney, who profited from a poor clearance by the Portmore defence and lashed home from 22 yards. The rookie defender was well placed at the centre of goal to intercept a miss-placed clearance just before half- time and made no mistake with a firm low shot which eluded everyone included goalkeeper Gracie McPherson.

The win gave Waterhouse the important three points in this the championship round, and their second consecutive victory over Portmore United who also lost 0-1 to their hosts in their final-third round game at home.

With both teams locked on 47 points going into the match with Portmore marginally ahead on goal difference, a keen tussle for parity developed early in the game with Portmore being the more dominant. The Linval Dixon-coached team launched a series of attacks on the goal of their hosts but many of their efforts were off target and this came back to haunt them at the end with their best effort coming from Steven Morrissey’s well directed shot in minute 25.

This goalkeeper Richard McCallum struggled to scramble around his left upright for a corner.

Coach Anthony Patrick was pleased with the results, since taking charge of the senior team along with Marcel Gayle: “I am heartened by the result to end the third round with a win and to begin the fourth round on a winning note. This is great encouragement and what we have asked the players for is an effort to finish the season on a high.”

Losing counterpart Dixon was disappointed for failing to make “better use of the chances created, especially in the first half”. “We’ll have to access our situation in the team where goalscoring is concerned for the future, but for now we will have to do our utmost in winning the three remaining games,” Dixon emphasised.

Teams: Waterhouse — Richard McCallum, Keneil Moodie, Rohan Amos, Odain Simpson, Hugh Howell, Kemar Rodney (Jermaine Fletcher 82nd), Weston Forrest, Stephen Williams, Akeem Thenstead (Adrian King 53rd), Kenardo Forbes, Jermaine Anderson

Subs not used: J Plunkett, P Keyes, N Bailey, Conrad White

Booked: Forrest (80th), Williams (88th)

Portmore United — Gracie McPherson, Adrian Reid, Keithy Simpson, Upston Edwards, Eric Vernon, Andrew Vanzie, Ricardo Cousins, Ricardo Smith (Shauntel Mundle (69th), Errol Stevens (Tevin Skyers 66th), Steven Morrissey (Andrew Christie 81st), Tremaine Stewart

Subs not used: D Brown, R Bedward

Booked: Stewart (80th), Vernon (88th)

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Stacy-Ann Greyson, Lloyd Reader

Fourth Official: Kevin Thomas

Match Commissary: Anthony Gibbs