Wilson and Holloway By Nodley Wright,
Staff Reporter
THE HEAT will be on at 4:00 p.m. today at the National Stadium when former champions Waterhouse go up against many-time semi-finalists and finalists but never victors Arnett Gardens in the Craven A National Premier League finals.
Waterhouse have made it a habit of getting into the NPL final since winning in 1998. Arnett Gardens, on the other hand, have never won this trophy and are into the final for the first time since 1997.
Both teams have risen above trying times in this year's competition and have reinvented themselves much to the surprise of their many detractors. Arnett Gardens struggled in the first round when they fielded a largely inexperienced team while Waterhouse, after getting to the end-of-first round final, found themselves in a freefall.
This continued into the beginning of the third round where they seemed destined to be among the relegation battlers. It was then time for Kenneth 'Bop' Campbell to take over. He lost the first game to Reno and never lost another, conceding just three goals in the process.
His team, he believes, is ready to continue in a similar vein.
"With the final playing tomorrow, if you were not ready before you are not going to be ready again," Campbell said.
Arnett Gardens, he said, will be very attacking. "They will be coming to attack because they have a good team. They are good players ... I know because I used to work with them. I was assistant with Admiral Bailey."
Campbell's summation of the Waterhouse strategy seems to have been on the ball as Arnett Gardens coach Jerome Waite said his team would be pushing Waterhouse onto the backfoot.
"Waterhouse have a very useful offensive team and they did well defensively as well but Arnett Gardens are a more attacking team so Waterhouse will spend a lot of time defending," said Waite.
"For me the most important thing is to win the battle in midfield. Once we have done that, the game will automatically become ours but at the same time, goals are what count," he said.
In midfield Arnett Gardens will be counting on Cornel Chin-Sue to repeat his man-of-the-match performances in both semi-finals. He along with Gerald Neil, depending on how he is employed, and Everton Bunsie will fight the battle against Damion Powell, Damion Williams and Andre Hickling.
Up front Arnett will be counting on the rejuvenated Kevin Wilson and Fabian Davis to lead them.
The much talked about return of Walter Boyd to the Arnett Gardens fold which would have put a number of their fans in football heaven will not materialise - at least not today.
Arnett Gardens' scoring will be no easy task as the Waterhouse defence is a very tight one backed up by goalkeeper Loxley Reid. Sweeper Andrew Holloway did not make a single mistake in the second semi-final and his game has been going from strength to strength. Around Holloway are the impressive youngsters Alroy Nicholson and Kirk Campbell.
"I do not think my top striker (Kevin Lamey) had a very good game last Sunday, so I think he is due and he really has the touch. On Sunday he played just nine minutes of football," Campbell said.
"Damion Powell is getting back his focus and I think the goal has done wonders for his confidence. He along with Loxley (Reid), (Irvino) English, (Alberto) Fray and (Andrew) Holloway should provide us with the stability."
