Waterhouse, BT have time to recover
Defending Red Stripe Premier League champions Montego Bay United Football Club should expect to have a merry Christmas, entering the holiday break with 35 points following a 2-0 win over bottomof-the-league Boys’ Town in the final match of 2016 on Wednesday.
The only thing better than ending the year beating the worst team in the league is to start the new year with a match against the second-worst team, as they take on second-from-bottom Waterhouse on 15 points in the first match of the year on January 4 at Wespow Park in St James.
It’s been a rough few months for both Waterhouse and Boys’ Town, who have, between them, won only seven games of 34 played since the start of the season.
ESCAPE RELEGATION
Waterhouse escaped relegation last season after defeating Boys’ Town 3-0 in the final match of the season.
Rudolph Speid, coach of former RSPL team, Cavalier, which incidentally did not escape relegation, said both Waterhouse and Boys’ Town have time to bounce back before the end of the current season.
“I don’t think any of them will go down, the former Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) president told STAR Sports.
“With (KSAFA) teams, you will see some results against the form book at the end of the season. These teams (too) are traditionally strong and they still have time to recuperate. In the last few years, teams have escaped relegation on the last day, (so) it’s too early to call,” he added.
Indeed, at the end of the 2015 season, Reno were saved from relegation by beating eventual league runners-up Montego Bay United 2-0 in the final match of the season.
Meanwhile, despite not being able to end the year on a winning streak, they had been on for the last seven weeks. Tivoli Gardens FC will still be confident as they finish the year on 32 points, three behind MoBay United.
The west Kingston team will open their year against newly resurgent Maverley-Hughenden, who haven’t lost a game in their last three tries.
The other league newcomers, Jamalco, will be at home to Portmore United, who defeated Tivoli on Wednesday and, no doubt, will be in good spirits heading into the new year.