Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

THE Digicel Premier League spotlight is focused fully on Geoffrey Maxwell for today's sixth round of matches, as well as his Waterhouse team.

Since the Drewsland crew was transformed from a parish into National Premier League outfit by Maxwell, never before has either faced so much scrutiny for losing football matches.

When the noose was put on their shoulders at Lynch Park last Sunday in a 0-2 loss at St Georges, that was their fourth loss of the season - at least on the field of play.

For their other encounter - a 0-0 finish against Harbour View - Waterhouse lost the point earned in the boardroom for using a player, Desmond Breakenridge, who was not registered to the club.

Strange enough, Breakenridge had left Waterhouse for Arnett several seasons ago. And as it turns out, relevant documentation was incomplete for his move back to Drewsland, where the two desperate clubs will meet in what has all the makings of a grudge match, at 5 p.m.

Wrong side

While Waterhouse are on the wrong side of a five-for-five, Arnett Gardens only broke themselves from what could have been a similar situation in a 3-1 win at Rivoli last Sunday.

Prior to that, the Junglists were four-for-four in losses, patterning their plight at the start of last season, when they lost a quartet of opening matches, then fired coach Jerome Waite and replaced him with player Fabian Davis, who went on to notch four straight victories.

Davis, under as much pressure as Maxwell last week, played a key role in changing Arnett's woeful early form by putting away one of the goals at Rivoli that have lifted them to three points.

The player/coach wouldn't mind a repeat in this dog-eat-dog showdown between clubs that really should not be surprised at their early season failures on the pitch, especially Waterhouse.

This is because the top brass among its playing staff rejoined the crew at Drewsland after the start of the Premier League, as they were fulfilling obligations off-season while largely representing a Jamaican team in the New York Caribbean League. The Jamaican team actually won the title, thanks to the efforts of many of the Waterhouse stars.

readiness to revive fortunes

What would matter, mostly to the Drewsland outfit, is their readiness to gel and revive their fortunes in a way reminiscent of last season, when they fought their way back into a top-six placing when Kevin Lamey, Irvino English and Damian Williams hit form to complement the work put in early by Jermaine Anderson and company.

Neither Anderson, nor the rest of that quality, has begun to spark.

Now Arnett, who will be working to ensure that the Firehouse flame doesn't start burning against them, might just have begun to burn, given their away victory at Rivoli and the fact that some of their most potent finishers were on the mark. Kevin 'Pele' Wilson bent in a 'wicked' left-footed free kick and another key frontman also put his name on the scoresheet - Leon Strickland.

With the regular suspects back out in full force and so much at stake, Arnett and Waterhouse should provide another all-too familiar showdown that is likely to create an action-packed and very intense game with a result detrimental to either, based on their bottom-of-the-table position that has enabled them to hawk the spotlight.

Big matches

Despite that, teams at the other end of the spectrum will be engaged in some pretty big matches on today's fixture.

Champions Tivoli, who had their 100 per cent win record altered in a draw at Sporting Central last week, host last year's fourth-place team, Boys' Town, who drew four straight before going down 0-1 at promoted Humble Lions last Sunday.

Leaders Tivoli are blessed with some very dangerous attackers, most notably Roland Dean, Navion Boyd and Keammar Daley, and they will post huge problems for Boys' Town, who, though positioned near bottom on four points, have some very capable players and generally save their best game for Tivoli.

Portmore United, dethroned into second position on goal difference last season, and Harbour View, which placed third, have made steady starts but are having difficulty putting away their chances. Like Tivoli-Boys' Town, the fixture bears a 'must not lose' red flag that will make winning hard, even though there is enough quality to force such a finish on the pitch.

Surprise

Portland outfit, St Georges, continue to surprise, and while Sporting Central are also playing well, the Braxton Hyre-coached team has generally bettered their Clarendon counterparts and will feel confident they can do so at home and maintain second position.

One win in the bag has whet the appetite of Humble Lions, but though they are in their den at Effortville, they should be wary of a Rivoli team just as hungry, which is seeking to rebound.

August Town have some major rallying to do, having not scored even one goal, while losing four of their previous five matches. Village have not lost and get a big opportunity to extend their good start with another shining success that could just tilt the spotlight on promoted August Town for a start not too dissimilar to Maxwell and his Waterhouse crew.