Day of decision in Premier League - TG, Boys' Town clash to decide title

Nodley Wright, Sunday Gleaner Writer

True fans of the island's top football competition, the Digicel Premier League (DPL) could not have asked for a more fitting end to the season - the champions will be decided on the final day as will the second of two teams to be relegated.

In contention for the title are the favourites Tivoli Gardens and the underdogs Boys' Town while any one of the trio of Sporting Central Academy, St Georges Sports Club and Humble Lion could join the already relegated Benfica.

In the title decider, Tivoli Gardens go in with the stronger hand. Not only do they need less to win, a point, but they do not have to win or score to claim the title. All they need to do is not give up any goals and the title will be theirs.

Boys' Town, on the other hand, have it all to do and as such Tivoli's coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey is expecting an aggressive approach.

"They (Boys' Town) will be coming out hard, as they now know that they are in a position to become the champions," said Bailey who is seeking to make good on the teams' failure last year and will be counting on the battle-hardened Edsel Scott, Kasai Hinds, and Christopher Jackson to deliver for him.

no fear

Andrew Price, a long-time servant at Boys' Town, was a member of the last Boys' Town team to claim the National Premier League 21 years. Today, he will be hoping to take his charges there as a coach and he is doing so without fear.

"We do not harbour any fear of going into Tivoli Gardens and getting a positive result," a confident Price said.

"Despite the fact that we are going down to Tivoli Gardens, it is a field that we have performed well on and have won a couple matches there against them," he stated matter-of-factly.

Price is right. Boys' Town have beaten Tivoli Gardens at the Edward Seaga Stadium (2-0) the last time they met at that venue. In fact, of the three times that both teams have met in the league, Boys' Town have won twice, winning at home, winning away before losing at home. Of note is the fact that on the last two occasions that they have met, Tivoli Gardens have come out on top, once in the league and most recently in the knock out competition.

Perhaps an even more important statistic to Price is the number of wins in the fourth round, a round in which they have eaten away at the five-point lead with which Tivoli Gardens entered the round.

Bailey will take comfort in the fact that his team still possess the most potent attack in the league even with the departure of Devon Hodges. They have scored the most goals in the league, 51, and they along with Boys' Town have conceded the fewest, 27. Navion Boyd, Roland Dean and Keammar Daley can cause trouble for any defensive unit and Boys' Town could miss the physical presence of Wayne Ellis who formed a good partnership in the centre with the very tidy Asrick Samuels.

Oneil Thompson was a new-year present for Boys' Town and he will have a major role to play if they are to break their drought. Jamiel Hardware, Marvin Morgan and Damion Francis have really responded well to his leadership by example and if he is able to get a similar effort out of them and others such as Renae Lloyd, Daemion Benjamin and Anthony Bennett to keep their heads, then they could just pull it off.

Today's games

3:30 p.m: Tivoli Gardens vs Boys Town - Edward Seaga Complex

3:30 p.m: Harbour View vs Portmore United - Harbour View Stadium

3:30 p.m: Waterhouse vs Village United - Drewsland Stadium

3:30 p.m: Reno vs Arnett Gardens - Frome Complex

3:30 p.m: St Georges vs Sporting Central - Lynch Park

3:30 p.m: Benfica vs Humble Lion - Drax