Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer

The controversial switch from Frome to St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) playfield continues to prove a happy hunting ground for Reno as they eked out an important 1-1 draw against defending champions and front running Waterhouse yesterday.

In fact, coach Wendell Downswell, who flew into the island only Friday night following a coaching seminar in Italy, identified the venue as the architect of their performance.

A happy Downswell told The Gleaner: "The surface makes a difference, no doubt about that; I am pleased with how we played and I tell you, we couldn't play like this at Frome. The surface allows for quality football and the team has expressed itself in that manner."

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For Reno, Recardo Scott's header in the 65th minute cancelled out Brian Wollaston's 16th minute goal for Waterhouse and in essence prized a draw that given the opposition and the quality of both teams' play, could easily have been labelled a 'win' by Reno.

It was the third draw conceded by the now-troubled Waterhouse in eigth matches to date, but their coach Barrington Gaynor seemed quite relaxed about the result which has effectively whittled away their previous one-point lead.

Waterhouse players did not train on occasions in the past week as they protested differences with the club's management pertaining to a tour which apparently should have come as a gift for winning the Premiership last season.

Given the circumstances Gaynor also intimated, albeit with measured sarcasm, that Reno may have caught his team at the 'right' time.

"I am not disappointed, we performed," he said. "I think we played well considering the problems we've been having."