In Your Neighbourhood

Despite sitting out the last round, unbeaten defending champions Scotiabank Group lead the Western Sports-JNBS Norman Goodison Inter-Bank Football Competition with maximum nine points from three matches.

This is two points ahead of Pan Caribbean/Sagicor, who have also played three matches, followed by NCB with six points from three matches, JNBS with five from four, BOJ four from three, RBC Royal Bank three from four, with CIBC/First Caribbean at the bottom of the standings without a point from four matches.

In last Sunday's matches, Pan Caribbean/Sagicor blanked CIBC/First Caribbean 2-0 at the Old Men's Hockey Field, thanks to goals from Marlon Brown and Kemoy McIntosh in the 21st and 70th minutes, respectively.

At the NWC playing field in Mona, NCB clipped RBC Royal Bank 1-0 with a 29th-minute goal from Victor Riley, while JNBS and BOJ played to a goalless draw at NWC field.

The competition takes a break tomorrow to mark the heroes holiday weekend.

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Champions Petrojam, NWC clash

The Champion of Champions Business House football clash between Western Sports Corporate Area Division I champions Petrojam and Sandals St Ann champions NWC takes place today at Kaiser, Discovery Bay, starting at 3 p.m.

The competition is being played for the first time in the past three seasons. The Raymond Quallo-coached Petrojam are not only the KSAFA Business House Division I champions, but also won the Challenge Trophy by defeating KO champions The Gleaner 3-2.

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Heroes weekend pool tournament

Hot Shots in association with Pool Tables and Billiard Supplies will stage a heroes weekend pool tournament at Hot Shots, 103 Constant Spring Road today, tomorrow and possibly on Monday (Heroes Day).

The eight-ball tournament offers a first prize of $45,000, second $15,000, with $5,000 earmarked for the players finishing third and fourth.

Entry fee is $1,500 and $1,800 for late entries. Plans are afoot to extend play to Monday with a women's tournament, but this will depend on the number of entries received.

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Western Sports clipThe Gleaner in semis

Unbeaten Western Sports clipped The Gleaner 48-45 in Game One of their best-of-three semi-finals in the Business House 3-on-3 basketball competition at the Stadium Courts on Wednesday night.

Although unbeaten in 16 previous matches, Western Sports were fully extended by the vastly improved Gleaner team.

Rohan Robinson scored 27 points for Western Sports, assisted by Kareem Lewis with 14. However, both were outscored by The Gleaner's captain and ace shooting guard, Omar Wolfe, with a game-high 33 points. Game Two will be played at the same venue next Wednesday evening.

In the other Division II semi-final match, National Land Agency edged BOJ 26-24, with Howard Edwards dumping 12 points for the winners and Mario Griffiths nine for BOJ.

In Division I semis at the same venue on Wednesday, unbeaten G4S defeated NWC 53-45 in Game One, with Omar Barnes contributing 17 points and Christoph Brown 10. Jeffrey Brown scored a game-high 20 points for NWC.

Last year's Division II champions, Jamaica Teachers' Association Cooperative Credit Union, beat defending champions Grace Cannings 43-40 in the other semi-final match. Dave Blackwood and Andre Murray, each with 17 points, led the scoring for JTA, while Kevin Daley knocked in 16 for Grace Cannings.

Game Two in all matches will be played on Wednesday at the Stadium Courts, starting at 6:30 p.m.

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Top Hill hold on for victory in JFL final

Top Hill were crowned 2011 Jamalco Football League (JFL) champions after an exciting 4-3 win over Napoli last weekend at the Clarendon Alumina Company's Employee Sports Club.

It was Top Hill's sixth championship overall and, in the process, they made up for last year's disappointment when they were beaten by New Bowens in the final. The final itself was one of quality and a fitting end to a competition that has a strong fan base and caters to the communities that make up the main operation points. Also, with a sponsorship in excess of $1.5 million, it is widely considered the most lucrative of its kind, as the winner is guaranteed at least $150,000.

The spectators on hand, numbering close to 2,000, were provided with a football treat and a feast of goals, and up to referee Hughgill Thompson's final whistle no one could predict how it would end.

Top Hill got things going in as early as the third minute when Damion Swaby scored. They would further translate the early momentum into a decisive lead when Vere sixth-former Romaine Wilson scored the first of his two goals in the 26th minute. A 2-0 lead going into half-time was threatening to make it a one-horse affair.

Even when a stunned Napoli pulled back one to get on the scoresheet in the 52nd minute, following an explosive run by Humble Lion discard Jermaine Christian, only one set of spectators were cheering. Andrew Issacs restored the two-goal cushion in the 62nd minute, before Wilson put the game seemingly beyond recall in the 68th minute, with a mazy dribble that left goalkeeper Erron Brown for dead.

However, with 15 minutes to go, the game would take a decisive turn when, with the help of the effective substitute Kajay Campbell, Cornelius Henry, a close relative of former national player Christopher Dawes, emerged the star player of the second half, producing two good goals from spot kicks within a four-minute period.

First he booted home from the penalty spot after Rohan Smith was fouled in the area, then he profited from goalkeeper Shane Thomas' spill from a fairly potent free kick from 25 yards.

They would come close several times, leaving the game on the knife-edge. But the champions held on for the closing minutes.

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Rain thwartsBH cricket final

The Best Dressed 30-over KO Business House cricket final between defending champions LIME and NHT, which should have been played last Sunday at Chalmers Avenue, was rained out before a ball was bowled.

Both teams and the umpires were present for the final, but heavy rain shortly before the scheduled 10 a.m. start forced a postponement. The match has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 30 at The Mico College University ground.

Meanwhile, the semi-final matches of the Reggae Jammin 50-over league, which were thwarted by rain late last month, will now be played on Sunday, October 23. Defending champions Jamaica Broilers will oppose NHT at Spring Village, while LIME are up against NWC at Mona, both matches starting at 10 a.m.