New focus at Waterhouse

Waterhouse Football Club's rapid improvement under coach Donovan Duckie has seen the Drewsland-based club jump from being rooted in the relegation zone early in the 2017-18 season to become a settled top-six team.

After four wins, four draws, and two defeats under the new coach, confidence is high again and with the team appearing to be improving each game, Duckie says the focus has changed from avoiding relegation to challenging for the title.

"We have moved away from the relegation zone and we are a team that is playing well in the top six, so that means expectations have changed. It has also changed for the fans as they expect more.

"So we have created a lot of good problems for ourselves ... Games are going to be much harder ... and it is not going to be business as usual this round.

"But it is good for us and the development of the players ... the expectation now is that we should compete for the title," Duckie said.

The Waterhouse coach said since his first win over UWI that the confidence level has grown significantly, and this has given them even more impetus to challenge for the top prize.

"We have a lot more to learn. But with good preparation comes luck ... and we have been lucky to win some games or get a point. Right now, the expectation is very high ... we have to maintain our good form and our place in the top six and keep improving," he said.

Meanwhile, Duckie revealed that the club very close to signing five players they have identified to help improve the team in the January transfer window.

He declined to disclose names but said: "We have spoken to their clubs ... and these players are what you would call finished products, so they should help us and be integrated into what we have."

- L.S.