CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United and Waterhouse played out an exciting and bruising 0-0 draw in their Red Stripe Premier League game at Montego Bay Sports Complex on Sunday.

Both teams created several good chances, the home team getting the most, especially Alan Ottey, who wasted no fewer than three gilt-edged opportunities to give his team its third win, but had to settle for a point.

Waterhouse inched up to nine points and eighth place, one position and two points better than their opponents, who are unbeaten in two matches — their best run this season.

Waterhouse finished with 10 players after Damarley Oliver was sent off in time added at the end of the second half after he floored substitute Lesley St Fleur with a crunching tackl as the Bahamas international went off on one of his darting runs through the defence.

Oliver was not the only one who was ordered off by referee Courtney Campbell. MBU’s coach Dr Dean Weatherly watched the last 10 minutes of the game from the stands after both men exchanged words.

Afterwards Weatherly, who took over from Neider do Santos, said while he was “disappointed” that they had not taken full points from te match.

“The team is showing signs of progressing, and that’s all we can ask right now,” he said, adding that “based on the number of (scoring) chances we created, we should have won this game easily.”

Junior Francis, who was in charge of the Waterhouse, said they failed to win because “we lost organisation in the midfield, the passing game did not materialise”.

Francis said MBU’s formation o two wide midfielders may have contributed to the breakdown in his team’s plans.

“They had two wide players and we had to adjust to that and the central midfielder did not pick up the slack,” he said.

Waterhouse were the aggressors at the start, but it was the home team that created the first real chance when Omar Gordon skied the ball over the bar from inside the box.

MBU’s goalkeeper Richard Reynolds did well in the 15th minute to keep out a looping shot from Troy Reid taken from 35 yards.

Ottey had two good chances to score within minutes of each other late in the first half, missing from close range on both occasions. He snuck behind the defence on the right side in the 40th, but his shot was blacked at the near post.

A minute later, Keneil Kirlew presented him with a brilliant pass midway the penalty spot and the defence, but once again, he managed to miss the target.

St Fleur, who replaced Winston Wilkinson at the start of the second half, added some life to the MBU attack and his brilliant dribbles forced the Waterhouse defence into rash tackles and hasty clearances.

He stole a poorly-taken corner from the edge of his own 18-yard box and dribbled through the team all the way to their box where he was shouldered off the ball.

Goalkeeper Reynolds again did well in the 68th to prevent Waterhouse from scoring when he came out of his area to break up a three-man combination.

Jermaine Anderson started the move on the right, passing the ball to Nicholy Findlayson in the middle and the former national representative found a wide-open Gary McIntosh, but the goalkeeper was quick off his line to prevent a shot.

MBU had one final chance in the 84th, but Kirlew lost track of a cross from the right side and by the time he gained control, forced the shot into the side netting.

Teams:

Montego Bay United — Fabian McCarthy, Dwayne Ambusley, Omar Gordon, Winston Wilkinson (Lesley St Fleur-46th), Cordel Simpson, Alan Ottey (Brian Brown 67th), Keneil Moodie (Kemiro James-71st), Richard Reynolds, Ladale Ritchie, Jermaine Woozencroft

Subs not used: D Carey, J Barrett, J Fisher, J Eccleston, D Watkins, R Orett

Booked: Wilkinson-4th, Ritchie-18, Ottey-67

Waterhouse — Kelso Cousins, Rohan Amos, Damarley Oliver, Jahmeel Thompson, Nicholy Findlayson, Hugh Howell, Vincent Earle (Hughan Grey-81st), Jason Watson, Troy Reid, Jermaine Anderson, Gary McIntosh (Juvaune Benjamin-70th)

Subs not used: R McCallum, A King, R Barnes, P Keys, M Ricketts

Booked: None

Ejected: Oliver-90th

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistants: Nicholas Anderson, Melvin Reid

Fourth Official: Dwight Royal

Match Commissary: Fitzroy Reid