Waite off with a bang at Tivoli in win over Waterhouse
IN his first top flight match in four years, new Tivoli Gardens Head Coach Jerome Waite said he had no nerves as he oversaw their 3-0 win over Waterhouse in their opening game of the Jamaica Premier League on Sunday.
He spent over 20 years with Tivoli’s rivals Arnett Gardens during which time he won four premier league titles before being fired in 2019.
However, it was a dream return for Waite as his side dominated the contest and were rewarded through goals from Howard Morris in the 30th minute, Justin Dunn in the 32nd, and substitute Shaquille Jones past the hour mark.
Waite said the preseason preparation went well, which allowed no anxiety for himself or the staff to kick in.
“These players and I spent a lot of time dealing with their mental preparation. And knowing Tivoli Gardens players over the years, they are mentally tough, so once you get them physically ready and let them understand the game tactically, you will get results,” he said.
“One of the key things was how well the defensive unit [performed] — and you have to raise your hat to goalkeeper Nicholas Clarke whose back-to-back saves made the difference. It was an all-round performance but the defensive unit really stood out,” Waite added.
The new Tivoli coach watched the match from the grandstand while his long-time assistant Orlando Clarke stood in the technical area.
Waite says he is guiding two members of his staff on how to become good statisticians, while expressing his full trust in Clarke.
“We’ve been working together for a long time, way back to Ricardo Fuller days in 1991 at Ken Matthews Under-14, so he understands. He has worked with me at Arnett Gardens, Charlie Smith and ATL, where we won championships.”
While there were no nerves for Tivoli, Waterhouse Head Coach Marcel Gayle believes it played a factor in the result.
“It’s the first game so a little nerves were there. We settled early until we lost concentration midway, [and] that cost us the game [because] we conceded two goals in quick succession. We have to just learn from these mistakes,” said Gayle.
