Sporting face crucial test

Sporting Central Academy will have their toughest challenge of the National Premier League (NPL) season when they play away to defending champions Tivoli Gardens in the top-of-the-table clash at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex today at 5 p.m.

With eyes on the end-of-round title and the ultimate prize of the championship title, Sporting's coach, Vassell Reynolds, views today's game as a measuring device.

"This, along with the other three games, will test our maturity and give us an idea of what we will be able to achieve," said Reynolds of today's task.

Of the game itself and the attitude with which they will go into it, Reynolds said their approach will be one of cautious optimism.

"We are very confident and positive. We are one point behind the leaders, so we're aware that if we can beat them then we will get to the top of the league," he added.

Playing well away to Tivoli Gardens will be nothing new to Sporting Central, but positive results have almost always evaded them at that venue, and today's objective will be to change that.

Playing strengths

"Tivoli Gardens are an excellent team, very balanced, but to get the better of them we will have to play to our strengths. Our strengths are skill, speed and possession and we will use them all," Reynolds said.

In utilising their strengths, the forces of the little Bahamian Leslie St. Fleur will be on display, along with those of François Swaby and Levaughn Williams. All these players were crucial in the club's win over the Reggae Boyz in their warm-up game prior to their Honduras friendly international.

Crucially, Sporting Central will have to be good defensively and should welcome the return of Linval Lewis and Gregory Lewis to their defensive department, as without them, they could be in for a torrid afternoon.

Tivoli Gardens have taken the lead without properly hitting their stride. That knowledge and the disappointment of being the first team to surrender a point to the still-winless Village United could spur them on even more today against, from their perspective, pretenders to the throne.

Mitchily Waul, the competition's leading goalscorer, has been their main finisher so far this season and he will be keen to keep up his high standards, having set himself a target of a goal a game. National representative Navion Boyd has not been involved with the Reggae Boyz for a little while, and knows that only performances will see him rejoining the band. Improved service could help him as well, as Tivoli Gardens still have not found a replacement for Keammar Daley, but Marcelino Blackburn and the diminutive Shawn McKoy have been outstanding for them.

Against Village United, coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey said none of his players played up to par.

"None of the players showed up to play today. Maybe it was because we were playing against a team that had not scored a point, but they did not show up," Bailey said then, adding that they (Tivoli) "started the game tentative, lacking purpose or desire and by the time they realised they were in a game it was too late already".

Today, Tivoli Gardens cannot make that mistake.

Following their tough loss to Portmore United, Boys' Town must be prematurely counting their blessings as they host Village United. Even with the absence of their strongman O'Neil Thompson, Wayne Ellis and Kearn Binns, they should still be able to get the better of the struggling Trelawny side.

Waterhouse will have another battle on their hands when they host fellow end-of-round contenders Portmore United. Collecting just two points from a possible 12, Waterhouse are in a mini-crisis and will have to rebound without the services of Jermaine Anderson and Richard McCallum, who both earned red cards in the last encounter - McCallum getting his from the bench.

Kelso Cousins has looked good in goal for Waterhouse, which should ease their worries in that department, while Carlos Barrett and Vincent Earle have been outstanding for them on the field.

Portmore United should welcome the return of Tremaine Stewart, who along with Alanzo Adlam has been their main goalscoring outlets.

MATHEMATICAL CHANCE

Harbour View are of the opinion that they are still in with a mathematical chance of making the end-of-round final. This will only remain a possibility if they are able to beat Arnett Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex this evening.

Arnett Gardens have been showing a lot of character, especially at home, and should be overjoyed at the return of captain and main offensive threat, Kirk Ramsay.

In a tight battle at the lower half of the table, Reno have been doing their best to steer clear of a relegation dogfight and three points at home against the very stubborn Highgate will do their cause some good.

Montego Bay United have looked good on the field of play, but this is not reflected on the points table. They sit just above 12th-placed Village United in the 12-team league, but are just three points below sixth-placed Harbour View. A reliable striker could sort out their problems, but today they will get no sympathy from the hungry Humble Lion.

 5 p.m. - Montego Bay United vs Humble Lion at Catherine Hall Complex

5 p.m. - Tivoli Gardens vs Sporting Central at Edward Seaga Sports Complex

3:30 p.m. - Boys' Town vs Village United at Collie Smith Drive

6 p.m. - Waterhouse vs Portmore United at Drewsland Mini-stadium

3 p.m. - Reno vs Highgate United FC at Frome Sports Complex

6 p.m. - Arnett Gardens vs Harbour View at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

Standings

(Tabulated under Teams, P-Play, W-Win, D-Draw, L-Lose, GF-Goals For, GA-Goals Against, GD-Goal Difference and Pts-Points).

ROUND TWO POINTS STANDING

Teams	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Tivoli	7	4	3	0	9	5	4	15
Sporting	7	4	2	1	8	4	4	14
Portmore	7	4	2	1	7	4	3	14
Waterhouse	7	3	2	2	8	7	1	11
Humble Lion	7	3	2	2	7	6	1	11
H View	7	2	3	2	8	6	2	9
Reno	7	2	3	2	4	3	1	9
Arnett	7	2	2	3	6	8	-2	8
Boys' Town	7	2	2	3	6	11	-5	8
Highgate United	7	1	4	2	6	7	-1	7
MoBay United	7	2	0	5	6	8	-2	6
Village	7	0	1	6	3	9	-6	1