Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Tivoli Gardens' Christopher Jackson (right) puts his foot on the ball as teammates Denroy Gordon (centre) and Roberto Fletcher (on the ground) look on. Meanwhile, Waterhouse's Damian Williams holds Fletcher during the Cash Plus Premier League match at Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday. Tivoli won 1-0. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

IT TAKES only one touch to score. Jermaine Gray needed two to net Tivoli Gardens' winning goal in a contest where neither the hosts nor visitors Waterhouse held any punches in a tough Cash Plus Premier League match-up at Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday.

"I'm feeling really good because from the start of the week I've been telling myself I was going to be the man today. I feel really good about myself," said an elated Gray, whose team jumped four places from seventh to third on goal difference, as it also shares 12 points with Harbour View. Seba lead the standings on 13.

Waterhouse dropped to eighth on nine points, leaving Peruvian coach Danilo Barriga a frustrated man.

Frustrated

"The team played good but no finish ... I can't do no more, I don't know," Barriga said, searching for words in English. "I'm frustrated because the team preparation is good, the team play well in training, well in the game, I don't know, it's mental. One mistake and it costs us the game."

Transferred from Waterhouse this season, the 21-year-old Gray, who had just been introduced into the game with four minutes left on the clock, and at the expense of another former Waterhouse man, Roberto Fletcher, who had expired himself with some tireless running, took a lovely pass and turned, with the faintest of touches, by Navion Boyd.

Dead centre of the goal at the top of the penalty box, he set up the ball with his first touch then hit a grounder flush from his instep that kissed the grass all the way into the far post, well beyond the reach of Richard McCallum, who had made two outstanding saves on the day.

One came just before of the goal and the other in the first half when Christopher Jackson hit a powerful, swerving free-kick that saw McCallum acrobatically twisting his arm in a quick, reflex manner to block the ball, as his body flew in the other direction.

Waterhouse had the better share of possession throughout, but Tivoli had the lion's share of clear scoring chances and may have had three goals had Fletcher and his industrious front-line partner, Horace Howell, fitted shooting boots, this despite losing youthful Jermaine Taylor to referee Kevin Morrison's straight red card as early as the 28th minute for giving Mario Harrison a boxer's gash under the eye with the elbow, that was seen by linesman Garnett Page.

The effects of that one-man deficit did not show until the first 20 minutes of the second half when Waterhouse hemmed in their opponents with good usage of the pitch and precise ball movement.

Poor finish

However, while their enterprise generated promising advances, the finishing was lacking and as the game lengthened, the danger of losing grew ominous with Tivoli, many times dangerous on the counter, hitting a spark with the lively addition of Boyd and then Gray.

For the latter, it was one of those moments of genius that must have left the team's deejay coach, Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, feeling like he had just produced an instant hit.

"He's been working hard in training but I've not been giving him enough time," said Bailey of Gray. "Fletcher worked hard and got tired and with the tiring of Fletcher, I put him in earlier today and he scored with almost the first touch."