Even game, even finish at Brancourt

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

BESIDES a highly disputed offside that denied them a goal, hosts Sporting Central Academy and Waterhouse fought out a 0-0 draw in their Digicel Premier League third-round opener at Brancourt yesterday, a result which kept their bragging rights to one win each over three rounds.

Around the same time in the first round, Waterhouse had a 2-0 win which helped them string together a terrific form that eventually landed them a place in the first end-of-round final. Sporting returned the favour away at the start second round, winning1-0, a result that would propel them to also make the end-of-round final.

Close contest

It seemed the unwanted distinction the two shared in having lost in an end-of-round final would render their contest a close one.

That level of competitiveness held through to half-time and there would be no marked advantage gained when either made their full quota of attacking changes.

Onike Ford's entrance at the expense of Francois Swaby, the league's leading goal scorer, initially seemed puzzling. At the other end, Lamey's introduction with 12 minutes to go for Jermaine Anderson, seemed the last throw of the dice.

As the game sauntered to a point where probably both teams felt a draw would have been worth their hard work on an unusually soggy turf, controversy struck with two minutes remaining.

Denied full points

Sporting fans were rather vehement that they were denied full points after a header at the near post beat Richard McCallum and lodged into the goal.

What most felt they saw was substitute Damarley Samuels making a run down the right flank and doing well to get his cross in from deep along the goal line. The ball beat all tracking back, but burly Ford seemed to force his way behind defender Rohan Amos at the far side to beat McCallum with a sturdy header.

The cheers for goal soon turned to bitterness and prolonged protests long after the game, as Malachi Brown's outstretched flag signalled offside.