Easily the best game of match day one, Waterhouse FC and Harbour View FC played out an exciting 1-1 draw at the UWI-JFF/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at The University of the West Indies (UWI) yesterday.

Both goals came in the first half, Andre Fletcher putting Waterhouse ahead in the 10th minute before Oquassa Chong levelled in the 23rd minute.

Harbour View had the better of the early exchanges as their young players moved the ball well against a slightly more experienced Waterhouse team, but it was the team from Drewsland that would strike first.

Chong appeared to have been brought down in the penalty box by Nicholy Finlayson, but the Harbour View appeals were waved away by referee Christopher Mason and then moments later Kenroy Howell was charged in the box my veteran Lovel Palmer and a penalty kick awarded to Waterhouse.

Fletcher then calmly sent Tafari Chambers the wrong way as he slotted home from 12 yards.

The Waterhouse lead would be short lived as Harbour View responded well to the setback. They pressed the Waterhouse midfield and defence and were awarded a free kick in “Chong territory”.

Just as he had done for Jamaica College in the last schoolboy football season, the striker put his laces through the ball and fired it into the roof of the net, beyond the despairing dive of Akeem Chambers, brother of Harbour View shot stopper Tafari.

Both teams passed the ball well for the rest of the half, but it was a case of defence on top to the half-time break.

Harbour View failed to impose themselves on the game in the same way they did in the first half and the experience of the Waterhouse team came to the fore.

Both coaches rang the changes in the second half and, while Harbour View Head Coach Ludlow Bernard went for youth and speed in the form of Ronaldo Robinson and Tyrese Williams, Waterhouse Head Coach Marcel Gayle went for experience in the form of Colorado Murray and Andre Leslie.

But, even with changes, there was no further impact on the scoreline as both teams settled for a draw.

Waterhouse Assistant Coach Daniel Bent thought three points were there for the taking.

“It was a fair result, but I think if we had more cutting edge and a little bit better decision-making in the final third, especially in the second half, [it] easily could have been three points.”

Bernard, for his part, agreed that the result was a fair one and thought his young charges failed to execute the game plan properly.

“I think it is a fair result. I tried to be deliberate in the game. We were setting up ourselves for the counter, but the passes from out of the midfield didn’t materialise.”

Teams: Waterhouse FC – Akeem Chambers, Nicholy Finlayson, Kenroy Howell, Shawn Dewar (Shaquille Bradford 64th), Ricardo Thomas, Ramone Howell, Denardo Thomas, Shevon Stewart (Colorado Murray 64th), Andre Fletcher (Andre Leslie 79th), Roshane Sharpe, David Edwards

Subs not used: Duvaughn Dunkley, Zemioy Nash, Rafeik Thomas, Damion Binns

Booked: Dewar (42nd)

Harbour View — Tafari Chambers, Ajeanie Talbott, Odorland Harding, Oshane Staple, Lovel Palmer, Casseam Priestly, Jamone Shepherd (Garth Stewart 65th), Saqlain Waul (Ronaldo Robinson 55th), Cristojaye Daley (Tevin Scott 82nd), Lennox Russell (Tyrese Williams 55th), Oquassa Chong (Sean Daley 82nd)

Subs not used: Akeem Smith, Tarick Ximines

Booked: Priestley (85th), Scott (90th+3)

Referee: Christopher Mason

Assistant Referee 1: Stephanie-Dale Yee Singh

Assistant Referee 2: Kioney Denton

Fourth Official: Odette Hamilton

Match Commissioner: Beverley Melbourne

— Dwayne Richards