By Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer
Rivoli's Errol Wilkie (right) raises a high boot after Waterhouse striker Uchechukwu Chinyere had lifted the ball over his head in their Wray and Nephew National Premier League match at Prison Oval, Spanish Town, yesterday. Rivoli won 3-0. - Ricardo Makyn / Staff Photographer
IT WAS sheer excitement at Prison Oval in Spanish Town yesterday as home team Rivoli created a major upset to blow away first round champions Waterhouse 3-0 in their Wray and Nephew National Premier League second round encounter.
Waterhouse, the hottest team in the competition following their charge through the first round and a title under their belt, expected an easy win as they were facing a team in the bottom half of the standings.
However, it turned out not to be a great return for former Rivoli coach, Harold Thomas, and his team.
The home crowd went wild, and very early too as newcomer Yanis Henry combined well with Errol Wilkie and captain Patrick Beech, before blasting a shot past goalkeeper Loxley Reid to put Rivoli ahead.
UNBEATEN RUN
Despite holding their own, the red-hot 'Firehouse' team, which came into the match with an unbeaten run stretching nine games, failed to find the equaliser as former Waddadah player Dwight Heron at central defence along with man of the match, goalkeeper Dennis Clayton, kept Kevin Lamey and Nigerian Uchechukwu Chinyere at bay.
With three minutes to go before the break, there was more celebration for the home team as Wilkie dribbled inside the penalty area and with the goalkeeper at his mercy, he made no mistake to give his team a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Waterhouse tried hard to pull back a goal in the second half but Clayton continued his heroics, making his best save off a penalty in the 70th minute after Nigerian Chinyere's break away was fouled inside the penalty box. The leading goalscorer of the competition, Lamey, took the penalty but Clayton denied him with a good save.
For the remainder of the half it was all Rivoli and it was no surprise when they increased the lead, as in the 86th minute Sean Coleman sealed Waterhouse's fate and gave the Spanish Town club's technical director Bradley Stewart a grand return, following his coaching stint overseas.
Coleman scored after the ball had rebounded from the crossbar.
"We are very happy for this big win ... as after the first round we had several meetings and we discussed where we had gone wrong and the players vowed to do well and this was all I had asked for and they have responded well," Rivoli's coach Utah Blade said.
Asked if he was intimidated by Waterhouse, Blade said: "No. At their home in the first round they had to come from behind to draw with us and the players had vowed that they wanted to give their former coach a losing return to the Oval."
Thomas, who guided Rivoli to their A League title, but left during the middle of last season, was very humble in defeat.
He said: "I want to congratulate Rivoli as they played much better than us today and they deserved to win. Waterhouse played a little flat today... the team did not come out with their normal aggression today and the season is still long. This is not a big setback for us."
