Barbican set to wrap up title

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Charles Edwards, coach of defending champions Barbican, is confident his team will wrap up the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF)/Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League title today, when they face Portmore Strikers in the second-leg final at the Waterhouse Mini Stadium, starting at 6 p.m.

Barbican lead the tie 4-0 following their victory over Portmore Strikers in the first leg last Saturday.

"The team looked very good in training this week, the focus is intact and the energy was extremely high, and everybody is raring to go," said Edwards.

"I think Portmore can expect a much harder game from us, because everyone on my team will be coming out firing."

He added that his team has no intention of conceding any early goals to their opponents and, therefore, it is going to be strictly business as usual.

"It is going to be very difficult for any team to come back from four-nil down, but I think that the first 20 minutes of the game will be very decisive for us in terms of removing the sting from the Portmore Strikers team," Edwards noted. "I also think that, with a number of their top players out, the task should be easy for us."

Mcgregor leads charge

Jodian McGregor, who netted a hat-trick against Portmore Strikers in the first leg, will lead her team's charge for victory along with captain Alicia James, Janine Dennis, Trudian Mills, Kessian Walker and Yolanda Hamilton.

Derrick Johnson, coach of Portmore Strikers, has basically conceded defeat.

"I doubt that we can get back in this final because being four-nil down and losing our captain and a defender, it is going to be a very huge task for us," said Johnson.

"However, we are going to try, but it is really an uphill task," he said. "Our players will have to work overtime and also to ensure that we don't concede any early goals to Barbican."

The winners will take home take home $400,000, while the runners-up will collect $250,000.