Lamey

Kevin Lamey's two goals gave Waterhouse a morale boosting 2-1 away win over Sporting Central Academy in their Digicel Premier League match-up at Brancourt on Sunday.

The win helped the Drewsland team push their climb to mid-table, leapfrogging Sporting, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

The effect of the victory on Waterhouse was quite noticeable on the touchlines, apparent in the consistent handclaps, light banter among members of the management team including club president Ricky Chin, as well as the restrained animation of coach Geoffrey Maxwell.

For Sporting, the heads hung low and the referee's whistle probably came as relief for an afternoon in which they outran Waterhouse but lacked smartness, precision and mental toughness when the action was close or opportunities came.

Regular coach Donovan Duckie was absent, reportedly due to illness, and his assistant, Nigel Stewart, seemed to think his side has to work much harder to get themselves out of this slump.

"We started out flat and needed to be more courageous in attack. This is the worst of the four games we have lost. We just have to keep on working, working till we get it right."

It appeared a deliberate strategy for Lamey to interchange with Jermaine Anderson upfront or cool off in midfield. His cat-and-mouse display often caught the Sporting team off guard and he would pop up to hit them each time they seemed to have some attacking momentum.

Maxwell told The Gleaner starting Lamey was key to the game plan.

"We knew we were playing a young team and his kind of ability would show up young players," said Maxwell.

Almost a shocker

The opening goal in the 10th minute came almost as a shocker, as the home side had almost won a penalty on Francois Swaby's run at goalkeeper Moshell Nelson.

Nelson released the ball quickly and there was a flurry of exchanges between Jermaine Anderson and Lamey on the left side. By the time the Sporting defenders could react, Lamey was already sneaking in to slip a shot past the unsuspecting goalkeeper, Triston Henry, who moved in much too late to block the angle from the near post.

Jevaughn Watson was the one distraction for the visitors, creating problems in midfield. However, the pattern of turnovers for Sporting in the attacking third meant someone had to produce something spectacular for a breakthrough.

Watson was to provide that bit of magic himself, in the 55th minute, curling a 20-yard beauty home, with Nelson well out of position.

The equaliser spurred greater attacking energy from Sporting but Lamey's incredible off-the-ball guile would hit them where it hurt most - another goal in the 62nd minute. This time the veteran poacher moved in well to shadow the onrushing goalkeeper from a floated pass by Damion Williams. He would have lost the chase for the loose ball but for escaping the eye or call of the referee for a push on young defender Gregory Lewis. Lewis recovered from the partial fall and, although he forced Lamey wide of the target, Lamey whipped in a curler from a difficult angle to earn even the cheers of Sporting supporters as the ball hit the far post and lodged in the net.

By the time, he was replaced by Jonathan Williams in the 76th minute, Maxwell knew the damage had been done.

"Some players play for coaches," Maxwell said, highlighting the relationship he had with Lamey.

"Lamey and myself go way back when I discovered him around 1993. My feeling is that while he is no longer young, his technique, in terms of his mind and how he executes, is by far better than any other Jamaican forward."