Tivoli, Reno make push for round final

Nodley Wright, Gleaner Writer

Sitting in second place with a game in hand, Tivoli Gardens will try to get a firmer hold on an end-of-round final spot when they host Reno in the Digicel Premier League today.

A crucial away win on Sunday against Arnett Gardens pushed the 2008-09 champions to 18 points, one behind Waterhouse with just two sets of scheduled games remaining in first round.

With the first round set to be completed on Sunday, for other teams, Tivoli Gardens and Humble Lion will complete theirs on Wednesday, November 3.

Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, while acknowledging that his team has an excellent record at home, is not seeing a win over Reno as a foregone conclusion.

Adapting

"If you want to become champions, you have to dig deep all the time because it is not going to come easy. This is something that I have been trying to instill in the players, and they are adapting very well to that," Bailey explained.

According to Bailey, what his team will have to do to claim victory is perform at their best.

"We just have to show up with our 'A' game and we will be fine. The greatest thing is that we are not conceding. This shows that we are working well at the defensive end. Once we can also keep out the opponent, we have the strike force to score a few goals," he said.

While the finishing of that strike force was not in evidence on Sunday last against Arnett Gardens, the trio of Devon Hodges, Keammar Daley and Roland Dean could get their radar right at any time. With Michael Spence and the still-good Kevin Deerr to call on, they do have more than enough offensive force in reserve, which could justify Bailey's confidence.

Like Tivoli Gardens, Reno are also harbouring thoughts of the end-of-round final, though the odds for them would be greater. With 14 points and in fifth position, a win today would be a must, followed by another in their final game. Added to that, will be the hope that three of the teams above them drop enough points, allowing them to squeeze through.

Though it appears improbable, Reno's coach, Wendell Downswell, remains an optimist.

"We are thinking about that (end-of-round final) but, as you know, there are other factors that will come into play in our next two games," Downswell said on Sunday following his team's away win over Sporting Central Academy.

"But after the loss against Harbour View today, we wanted to get back to a place where we stay in the top four and make a run later," he added then.

If they are to make a reality of their dream, captain O'Brian Woodbine, Evan Taylor, Davian Thorpe and Nicholi Finlayson, all of whom have had stints with the national team, will have to be at their best, and more.

At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, home team Arnett Gardens, under the temporary directions of manager Anthony 'Charlie Chaplin' Bennett, will be hoping to stave off the attack of Humble Lion who are now baring teeth. Avoiding a third loss in a row will be big on the minds of the Arnett Gardens players. Humble Lion will be looking to get another three points for a total of 10 from four games under the direction of Lenworth Hyde.

Portmore United will have to improve if they are to get anything out of today's game against fired-up Waterhouse. Kenardo Forbes, Jermaine Fletcher and Vincent Earle, scorer of a hat-trick on Sunday, have been in good form for Waterhouse and, if they are not contained, it will not be a happy home showing for Portmore. Portmore are not short on quality but will need the likes of Ricardo Cousins, Mario Swaby, Eric Vernan, Rafe Wolfe and Steven Morrissey to click.

Benfica claimed the big scalp of Harbour View away from home on Sunday and will want to record another victory over a higher-ranked and more-fancied team when they host Boys' Town. For Boys' Town, only a victory will satisfy them as they also push for a place in the end-of-round final.

Both Sporting Central and Harbour View are still hurting from losses on the weekend and a return to winning ways will be uppermost in their mind. St Georges and Village will try to sink each other further in their quest to get off the bottom of the table.

Standings

Standings in the Digicel Premier League after Sunday's ninth round of matches

(Tabulate under Teams, P-Play, W-Win, D-Draw, L-Lose, GF-Goals For, GA-Goals Against, Pts-Points)

Teams P W D L GF GA GD PTSW'house 9 6 1 2 14 6 8 19Tivoli 8 6 0 2 13 3 10 18B Town 9 5 2 2 11 10 1 17Portmore 9 4 4 1 10 5 5 16Reno 9 4 2 3 10 6 4 14Sporting 9 4 1 4 11 7 4 13H View 9 4 1 4 12 9 3 13Benfica 9 3 2 4 9 13 -4 11Arnett 9 2 3 4 5 11 -6 9H Lion 8 2 2 4 3 6 -3 8Village 9 1 3 5 8 18 -10 6

St Georges 9 1 1 7 8 20 -12 4

Games on:

Arnett Gardens vs Humble Lions at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex (6 pm)

Benfica vs Boys' Town at Drax Hall (3:30 p.m.)

Portmore United vs Waterhouse at Ferdie Neita Park (7 p.m.)

Sporting Central vs Harbour View at Brancourt (3:30 p.m.)

St Georges vs Village United at Lynch Park (6:30 p.m.)

Tivoli Gardens vs Reno at Edward Seaga Complex (5 p.m.)