DavisNodley Wright, Staff Reporter
THIS IS it.
After months of battling against other teams, Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens will line up at 3:30 p.m. today in the final fight for the 2000/2001 Craven A National Premier League title.
Arnett Gardens go into this game in the more favoured position having won the first leg final 2-1 on Wednesday. This will however mean nothing to the Waterhouse coach Kenneth "Bop" Campbell and his charges. According to Campbell, his team is like himself - they have always had to fight for everything they have.
Today's game will be no different.
"This is the big one," Campbell said.
"It is never over until it is over and we will be fighting to the final whistle. Win, lose or draw I think my team has done well but we are looking for the bonus this Sunday," he said.
"Basically, we are one goal behind so we will have to pull one back as early as possible. I don't think that we played badly on Wednesday but I am sure we will play better this Sunday."
To give his team a more physical presence Campbell is contemplating two changes. Michael Thomspon, he said, would definitely start in the midfield ahead of Damion Williams who was still not 100 per cent fit.
Jermaine Russell could also start. Russell is comfortable at either wingback or in midfield.
One of the areas in which his team fell down in the first leg, according to Campbell, was concentration. "The first goal came about because we did not follow instructions. Fabian Davis was Damion Powell's assignment.
"This Sunday we will have to concentrate more on tracking players. The lack of tracking cost us on Wednesday.
"All that I was worried about was that they had lost their focus. Last night (Thursday) we could see that it was back and I am happy. I know that Arnett will be coming hard but we just have to come harder. I do not know if Arnett were playing at their best but we were playing below ours."
Arnett Gardens manager Patrick Roberts said he was pleased with the outcome of the game despite the fact his team was on the defensive in the dying moments.
"To me it is a great accomplishment going into the second leg with the lead. The margin is kind of minimal but reflecting on Arnett Gardens down the line it is the first time that I can remember that we are leading going into the second leg. I could be wrong but even so it is a good start. It is a big plus," Roberts said.
"We are looking forward to it (the second leg) and we know that we have to come at our best and we know that no team will sit back and allow another team to take what they want," he said.
His team Roberts said will be going into the game not thinking that they While expressing pleasure in the way his players especially Davis, Kevin Wilson, Cornel Chin-Sue, William Richards and the veteran Denton Shedden have done their work, Roberts hinted there could be a change or two.
"We have lots of surprises coming so we will keep that a surprise. There is always an element of surprise with Arnett Gardens."
The surprise could be striker Walter Boyd whose club Swansea City played their last game of the season on Friday.
Despite their lead and the possibility of a trump card, Roberts will not be taking the opponents lightly.
"They are a good team and they are committed to the process. I am not a coach who can give you a technical and tactical analysis. I leave that to Jerome Waite but whoever wants it most will win," he said.
"We just have to give thanks that we came out with that lead despite the fact that we ended with one man down and our most senior defender and captain Eugene Barnes had to come off through injury so the result is more than acceptable."
