Earle's hat-trick puts Waterhouse on top

Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

VINCENT EARLE's hat-trick yesterday evening handed sole leadership of the Digicel Premier League to Waterhouse, who flogged struggling St Georges 3-1 at the Drewsland Mini Stadium.

Boys' Town's 1-1 draw with Portmore United in the opening match of a double-header at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex saw the Red Brigade fall two points behind Waterhouse, who moved to 19 with their home win.

Playing before an unusually sparse home crowd and tension-filled environment after a shooting near the venue claimed the life of a popular community figure last Wednesday, Waterhouse dominated crisis-hit St Georges from start to finish.

Sitting at the foot of the standings with just four points from nine games, St Georges, playing without captain Jermaine Taylor, due to what assistant coach Raymond Gordon described as "an administrative matter", fell behind after 22 minutes.

The silky-smooth Earle opened the scoring by turning a defender inside the 18-yard box and firing a low shot, almost a miskick, to the far right of goalie Ralston Robinson.

Andre Clennon should have made it 2-0 moments before the break, but he wasted strike partner Jermaine Anderson's hustle in midfield by drifting too wide after rounding Robinson at the edge of the box.

Quick amendments

However, he quickly made amends after the break, providing a low cross from the right exactly 55 seconds after the whistle for Earle to slide in a volley from six yards past Robinson.

Akeem Thenstead, who scored in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Arnett Gardens, continued to impress at wing back for Waterhouse and won a 64th-minute penalty to give Earle his hat-trick.

Cutting in from the left flank after turning Richardo Watson, the speedy Thenstead was brought down just inside the box and he made sure referee Wilverglen Lamey took notice by doing a bellyflop in the area.

The smart Earle made no mistake on a pitch made slow by second-half showers, scooping the ball to the right of Robinson as the keeper went the wrong way in a half-hearted attempt.

The visitors got their consolation in the 82nd minute from substitute Leon Irving, who outjumped Waterhouse keeper Richard McCallum.

The Waterhouse goalie lost sight of the ball after he was shadowed by another St Georges attacker at his near post.

Gordon said St Georges , who have conceded eight goals in their last three games, are trying to turn around their form.

"We're implementing new ideas to stop the losing streak, but it's not going to happen overnight," he said, lamenting "soft goals" and not scoring in the chances they get.