Arnett blank Waterhouse 2-0 to retain Boom El Clasico trophy
Published:Friday | October 20, 2023 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Arnett Gardens retained the Boom El Clasico trophy on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory over Waterhouse at the Drewsland mini-stadium.
Shai Smith and Rushike Kelson both scored from the penalty spot to secure the $500,000 cash prize for the winners, and for coach Xavier Gilbert it was a great way to start his tenure.
“It is a win under the belt. There are no points but there are bragging rights. I am happy for the win. I am happy for the way we executed.
“There are still some areas we have to touch up before the start of the season but this was a great dress rehearsal for our season opener.
“It (win) is good for the community and good for the players and it’s good to get it (first match) out of the way,” stated Gilbert.
The game was only five minutes old when a wild challenge on an Arnett attacker inside the box led Smith to the spot and he calmly converted from 12 yards.
Both teams had great chances afterwards, with Arnett missing a couple of sitters and even had a chance miraculously cleared off the line.
Waterhouse wasted a great chance in the 61st minute and were made to pay moments after that miss when Arnett were awarded a second penalty after a late tackle in the box, which Kelson dispatched in the 63rd minute.
“It is unfortunate that we were on the losing end,” Waterhouse coach Marcel Gayle said. “But I thought we managed the game well. The first 15 minutes we were a bit lethargic and disorganised but we got ourselves back in the game and created a number of chances.
“In the second half we managed the game better. We had a number of chances but, unfortunately, we were let down in front of the goal. But we take heart from the game. We saw a lot of positives,” he said.
The game was originally scheduled for National Heroes Day at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex in Arnett Gardens but a curfew in the area forced the organisers to shift the match to Wednesday.