Waterhouse, Portmore jostle for position in JPL feature

FIFTH-PLACE WATERHOUSE and sixth-place Portmore United will highlight this weekend’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL) fixtures when the two meet in the feature of a doubleheader at Stadium East today at 6 p.m.

Waterhouse will look to build on the morale-boosting draw with leaders Mount Pleasant last match day.

The Marcel Gayle-coached team became the first team to deny the defending champions a goal and a win in seven matches this season.

After a losing start to the campaign, the Drewsland-based club has turned things around, winning four out of seven to sit three points adrift of second-place Arnett and eight points behind leaders Mount Pleasant.

Waterhouse, Portmore and Humble Lion are all tied on 11 points and a win for any would very much help them keep pace with the front-runners.

Defeat for any of these teams could see them dropping out of the top six with Cavalier, Vere and Dundeholden lurking on eight points each.

Portmore also started their season on a losing note but then racked up three straight wins and had gone five games without being beaten.

However, the St Catherine club’s pace has slowed in the last few weeks and they have now gone three matches without a win, including an unexpected 3-2 loss to Montego Bay United last week.

Portmore have yet to truly hit top form with key players like Alex Marshall, Chevaughn Walsh and Emelio Rousseau still finding their productive boots.

Although Martin Davis has been quite lively and has done well leading the attack thus far.

Waterhouse are also still coming together as an attacking force. They have the league’s second-leading scorer in Javane Bryan, who has netted six times, one less than Tivoli’s Justin Dunn.

The likes of Nicoy Christian, Denardo Thomas and Andre Fletcher also look more coordinated each game and will continue to be a threat going forward.

In the opening game at 3:30 p.m., Dunbeholden will try to make up ground on the leading pack when they face off against third-place Tivoli.

Dunbeholden took four matches to get their first point and five matches to score their first goal and first win.

They have now won their last two and will be looking to take down a high-riding Tivoli who have won three of their last five games.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com