By Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterWHEN REFEREE Howard Stennett dismissed a strong appeal for a penalty by waving 'play on' in the dying moments of yesterday's Wray and Nephew National Premier League End of First round final between Waterhouse and Harbour View, the 'Firehouse' supporters shouted with jubilation.
Even they knew the 'Stars of the East' had just been denied their last chance of sending the game into extra-time.
As it turned out, the final whistle came shortly afterwards and the traditional slow starters Waterhouse rescued the End of First round crown, three bonus points and $150,000 after winning 2-1 at Tony Spaulding Complex.
"I am very happy for the players. They have worked hard all season and they deserve the result," a calm Harold Thomas, Waterhouse's coach, told The Gleaner last night while his team was in a party mood.
However, his opposite number, Donovan 'DV' Hayles, was distraught. While conceding that Waterhouse played well, he could not help but imply the title could have gone the other way had Stennett penalized the Waterhouse defence for taking down Lovell Palmer in the penalty box.
"Oh my god!" said DV, the former national goalie. "If it is a penalty, it is a penalty. The referee did an excellent job up until that point but he was devious there. I shall dream about it time and time again."
The overflowing crowd on hand had hardly settled when Nigerian Uchechukwu Chinyere blasted Waterhouse into the lead, this with the game four minutes old.
The tall, skilful and speedy 'baller collected a pass from midfield and walked past his marker Clifton Waugh before lodging the ball in the back of Leon Gordon's net from a tight angle.
From there on it was all Waterhouse for most of the first half as the fiery combination of Chinyere and Kevin Lamey steamed down the necks of the Harbour View back line.
Chinyere in particular was too hot to handle and all the defenders with the exception of Conrad Hunt took turns in marking him but with limited success as the Nigerian went close to scoring a second, but had his 26th minute one-on one effort blocked by Gordon after Lamey had turned away from Hunt to provide him with a deft pass.
Lamey also went close to scoring but Palmer saved on the line when the striker took a spectacular bicycle kick from within the six yard box.
Harbour View saw a bit of light before they went to the half when Fabian Taylor's shot went wide of the scurrying Loxley Reid's upright.
At the turn of the half Waterhouse looked as if they had put the issue beyond doubt when Lamey capitalized on the failure of Hunt to clear the ball and scored by toeing it past Gordon, making it 2-0 in the 60th minute.
However, Harbour View hit back six minutes later and the goal did not come from the boots of free-kick specialist Jermaine Hue, who had an ordinary game.
Instead, it was Palmer who beat the imposing figure of Reid with a cracker - kicked low and hard from 35 yards out that rocketed into the 'rat hole' before the big man, Reid, could get down.
Although Harbour View took over the midfield and by extension the game from there on, they failed to put away several outstanding chances and no more goals came, allowing the red-hot 'Firehouse' to grab the coveted silverware.
While contending that the early goal did not set back his team, Hayles told The Gleaner he was not happy with the result.
"I am very disappointed. We expected to dominate the game through the midfield. We did that but with a little more calm in front of goal it could have gone otherwise."
