DEFENDING champions Waterhouse Football Club, through a brilliant hat-trick from Davia Richards, defeated arch-rivals Cavalier FC 3-0 to retain the 2019 Jamaica Football Federation (JFF)/Lascelles Employees and Partners Co-Operative Credit Union Women’s Premier League — title, at Spanish Town Prison Oval last Saturday.

The 15-year-old Richards, a fourth-form student at Excelsior High School, scored in the 19th, 36th, and 67th minutes to move her goal tally to 20 goals for the season. She trails teammate Shantel Bailey, who hit 27 goals, with just the knockout competition remaining to be played.

It was the second title for Waterhouse this season, as they had defeated Cavalier 5-1 in the mid season final in October. The Drewsland-based aggregation will be gunning for their third title when they defend the knockout competition that begins this Saturday.

The Waterhouse players dedicated the win to their late national representative and Captain Tarania Clarke, who was killed in October.

Xavier Gilbert, coach of Waterhouse, was pleased with the performance of the team.

“Our aim was to win the title for our late Captain Clarke, who was a big loss for the team, but the girls played very well to come out victorious in honour of her.”

He said Cavalier had a game plan for Waterhouse, but the champions got the upper hand, though his opponents created a few scoring opportunities.

Coach Gilbert had high praises for hat-trick heroine Richards, who rose to the occasion in the absence of Shantel Bailey, who was suffering from a slight injury problem during the game.

Meanwhile, Cavalier’s Coach Everdean Scarlett said his players never followed his instructions and they allowed Waterhouse to get the better of them during the game.

He pointed out that he made a few changes coming into the second half during which he employed two forwards up front and two wide players, and lamented that several chances were created but his team never capitalised.

He congratulated Waterhouse on their victory as they played well throughout the match.

The final began with Cavalier looking more positive and should have gone ahead early in the first half, as two glorious scoring opportunities went abegging with Rena Gordon failing to beat goalkeeper Tiana Schroeter, when she slipped and lost possession inside the penalty box, and Shasha Watson missed from close range.

Waterhouse weathered the pressure and produced several dangerous counter-attacks to put Cavalier’s defence under pressure. From one of those counter-attacks, Richards scored her first goal when she pushed the ball into the net and out of the reach of goalkeeper Danielle Flake, who had advanced from her goal line.

Cavalier tried desperately for the equaliser, with several chances being created from close range, but they failed to convert into goals; and Richards who was unmarked on the right side collected a square inside the box and again easily slipped the ball past goalkeeper Flake to take a 2-0 half-time lead.

In the second half, Cavalier again came out more positive and threatened down the right flank, but their efforts came to naught.

Waterhouse countered and created numerous easy scoring opportunities but poor finishing was their downfall, then Richards sealed victory for Waterhouse when she received a long ball on the right flank. She carried the ball inside the penalty box where goalkeeper Flake advanced from her line, and she calmly pushed the ball into an unprotected goal to make it 3-0.