RIVOLI UNITED HAVE fired five unanswered goals past Waterhouse in their last two meetings and haven't lost to the Drewsland team in three games this season.
However, with the Federation Cup trophy tucked away after Sunday's 2-1 win over Village, coach Kenneth 'Bop' Campbell has warned his Premiership semi-final rivals that it will be a "different" Waterhouse they'll face 3:30 at Drewsland tomorrow evening.
It's the stretch run to the Premier League semi-finals, three games to go. Tivoli have already qualified with 64 points followed by Harbour View (56), who need only pull in their coattails with a win against demoted Star Cosmos (12) tomorrow, leaving champions Portmore United (53), Waterhouse (50), Village (50) and Rivoli (50) to slug it out for two places.
Waterhouse are fourth on goal difference, followed by Village and Rivoli. However, Campbell's side has the toughest route to the semis, starting with Rivoli then traveling to Arnett Gardens Sunday before facing up to Harbour View the following week.
"My team loves that," said Campbell, who was handed the Drewsland reins for a second time and salvaged a season almost gone awry for Waterhouse, who went into a tailspin after winning the first round title under Harold Thomas.
Discovering form
Since Campbell took charge, Waterhouse rediscovered their form and have only lost once in nine games, steamrolling everything in sight in the Federation Cup knockout while keeping themselves in Premiership semi-final contention.
However, he knows too well that Rivoli are spoilers. It was immediately after Waterhouse's third round 0-2 loss to the Bradley Stewart-coached side that Thomas was asked to step aside.
Admitting that the men from Spanish Town are "a good running team" with a good scorer in Patrick Beech and "the national Garfield Reid", Campbell has almost dared Rivoli to try repeating their last two wins.
"This is a completely different ball game," he said yesterday. "They beat Waterhouse the last two times? Nuff respect for that but this is a different Waterhouse, totally motivated, physically and mentally," he added.
With national Under-23 player Demar Phillips back in his squad after sitting out the Fed Cup final on a red card, Campbell declared his team sound and ready for the match-up.
"Everybody's alright and any team coming to Drewsland to beat Waterhouse will have to play some good football," he warned.
"We should've scored at least five goals against Village," he added, reflecting on Sunday's 2-1 win, which gave Waterhouse their first hold on the Jamaica National Building Society Trophy. "Lamey should have gotten two and that goal in the first minute the linesman called as offside should have counted."
Praise
He was full of praise for Damion Powell, who assisted on both goals, a free-kick for Baris Johnson to head home in the 14th and a pull back for Uche Chinyere to tap home in the 69th before substitute Fabian Dawkins scored Village's consolation three minutes later.
"He's a big-hearted youth," Campbell remarked. "He has started listening and the team is playing as a unit," he pointed out.
Powell on the right flank and captain Irvino English on the left make Waterhouse almost impregnable down the wings. Both are solid defenders, who can be at the head of their team's attacks in a flash, deadly with free-kicks off the flanks as well as crosses.
Cunning coach
However, Rivoli, who have held their own from the start this season, reaching the second round final where they lost to Tivoli, can never be underestimated.
Stewart is a cunning coach, who knows his opponents well and adjusts his team like a chameleon. Beech's 16 goals and their come-from-behind exploits this season have kept them in semi-final contention.
Most teams know that against Rivoli, it's never over until the referee blows. In addition, the Spanish Town men haven't lost a Premier League game since being stopped 3-2 by Tivoli in the second round final. "They've been having a good season but as far as I'm concerned it's crunch time for Waterhouse and we have no choice but to go and take three points. It doesn't take a genius to see that," he added.
Chinyere will score at the sniff of goal and is fast becoming his team's crunch player but Lamey can turn a game on a dime and if given room can punish Rivoli's defence especially at Drewsland, where the teams will be meeting for the first time this season. Their first round game ended in a 1-1 draw at Emmet Park and Rivoli's two wins were at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
Other Corporate Area games pit Arnett against Reno in a game for the records at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex but champions Portmore need to maintain third place with a home win against Constant Spring at Ferdie Neita Park.
Portmore's last Premiership game was a disastrous 2-1 loss to Tivoli, giving up a 1-0 lead a minute from time.
"That's gone and we can't turn that back," coach Lenny Hyde said yesterday. "We played well up to conceding the two goals. It's only the Premier League trophy left now and our focus is on Spring this Wednesday and we'll take it from there."
Portmore will be without defensive midfielder Tyrone Sawyers and Andrew Morrison, who are both out on cards whereas Kevin Deerr looks dicey with a bad ankle. However, Dave Clarke and Oneil 'Chippy' McDonald, who'll be facing his old team, are possible replacements.
Constant Spring edged Portmore 1-0 at Ferdie Neita Park in the second round but Hyde's men have had the measure of the Geoffrey Maxwell-coached uptowners this season, beating them on four of five occasions.
