‘We are going to continue doing it’
Waite wants Tivoli project to keep gathering steam
THE STRIDES Tivoli Gardens have made under coach Jerome Waite this season have been nothing short of remarkable. Last season, the Jermaine ‘Teddy’ Johnsonled outfit finished a disappointing 11th in the 14-team Jamaica Premier League table, with a mere five wins from 16 matches.
However, this term, under Waite’s watch, the west Kingston team has challenged the league’s front-runners and is now second in the table and looking to qualify for an automatic semi-final spot.
Tivoli are five points behind leaders Mount Pleasant with 48 points. They lead third-place Cavalier on goal difference, and Portmore and Arnett Gardens by three points.
However, while Cavalier will have Dunbeholden, who are still in the hunt for a top-six spot, Tivoli will have the relegated Lime Hall to contend with.
Many expect a big win for Tivoli against Lime Hall this weekend, but Waite insists the aim is just to win and not by how many.
“My aim is to win and, as long as we continue winning, we will find ourselves in the position that we are looking forward to.
“Lime Hall have been relegated but they will have to honour their fixtures. But we have a duty to deal with and we will have to be focused and take it one step at a time,” he said.
In their last game against Harbour View, the Tivoli team showed great resilience to eke out a 1-0 win. Although pleased with the team’s defensive application on the day, Waite noted that they still have some fine-tuning to do in attack.
“Yes, we got a couple more chances in the game, but can you imagine in a game of football if you score every chance you get?
“But still, it comes down to decision-making in the final third from these youngsters. That is something we have to continue to work on for them to minimise their mistakes,” he continued.
Nevertheless, for the remainder of the season, Tivoli will stay true to their game and see where it takes them, he said.
“We now have a few days to work on the players who have knocks here and there, and then we will see how it goes.
“But the hard work, dedication, the commitment, the camaraderie, the team unity is paying dividends and, what we are doing now, we are going to continue doing it.”