WATERHOUSE was knocked off the top of the National Premier League standings yesterday after they failed to turn up in spirit for their home game against Boys’ Town at Drewsland yesterday and fell to a humiliating 2-1 defeat after taking the lead as early as the 12th minute through Vincent Earl.

Boys’ Town went down to 10 men after Carlos Wright was red carded in time added for his second bookable offence, but Waterhouse could not capitalise as they suffered their fourth straight defeat from Boys’ Town, having failed to win any of their three games against the Collie Drive-based team last season.

A most disappointing coach Donovan Duckie marked it down to “a psychological problem”.

“It was our worst game since the Claro Cup and this is the reason why they did not beat Boys’ Town last year. This is the problem. The problem is psychological. It must be psychological, as we are at home and played well below our capability,” he said.

His counterpart Andrew Price, as was expected, was upbeat: “To come from behind at Waterhouse is a good, good determination, as it signals that we are a force to be reckoned with in the League.”

Waterhouse with main strikers Jermaine ‘Tuffy’ Anderson and Andre Clennon missing from action, started briskly and gave their visitors some early anxious moments. However, poor finishing on the part of the home team helped Boys’ Town ride their luck and remain competitive until Earl drove a sizzling left-footed low shot past Kirk Porter in goal before the game was 15 minutes old.

They continued to show enterprise until a fracas developed between two Boys’ Town players at the half-way mark of the field which forced referee Kevin Morrison to step in and calm things down. From then on, the Waterhouse game seemed to have fallen apart as their passing became more wayward as some questionable tackles went unpunished on both sides. With an additional four minutes added Waterhouse laid back waiting for the half-time interval and the referee’s whistle.

While Waterhouse were in throttle-mode, Boys’ Town continued to work industriously and when the whistle sounded three minutes into stoppage time it was not to halt the game for half-time but for referee Morrison to signal the equalising goal for the visitors as Michael Campbell beat Richard McCallum to his far post with stinging low drive.

On the resumption Waterhouse failed to recapture the early verve of the first half and even though fresh legs were sent on, this failed to ignite any creative spirit and Boys’ Town took advantage of the malaise as central defender Wayne Ellis popped up in the goal area to put them ahead 18 minutes after the resumption, a result which condemned Waterhouse to their first defeat for the season.

Match Commissary: Andrew Payne