Garden party at Sabina
Tivoli oppose Arnett in Jamaica Premier League feature
Published:Saturday | March 19, 2022 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
For the second week running, Tivoli Gardens will face off against a major rival as they take on Arnett Gardens in the feature Jamaica Premier League (JPL) match today at 5:15 p.m. at Sabina Park.
In the first game of the double-header at the venue, 10th-place Vere go up against league leaders Waterhouse at 3 p.m.
Tivoli’s coach, Philip Williams, believes his team was unfortunate not to come away with at least a point against Waterhouse last weekend. However, he said yesterday that they aim to return to the winning column this week, when they meet their long-standing arch-rivals in what he expects to be another epic matchup.
“The game against Waterhouse summed up our season,” he lamented. “We have been playing well but not converting our chances on a regular basis, but it is something that we will continue working on, going forward.
“We know this rivalry and the intensity under which these games are normally played, and tomorrow it will not be any different. But we want to put away our chances and keep a clean sheet against an Arnett Gardens team that has been scoring freely.
GAME PLAN
“Arnett are right there with the leaders. They are a very good team, playing some good football. But we will go in with the intention of winning the game. That is our plan. We will go hard and try to play good football,” he commented.
He added that they are wary of Arnett’s pace in attack. However, he is hoping that a few personnel changes will help to make the difference for them.
Arnett head coach, Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis, who is in his second stint at the South St Andrew-based club, is also familiar with this rivalry.
Although they are doing better than their opponents in the table, he is fully aware of the threat Tivoli pose.
“They are a good team and they can attack from any angle, so we have to be aware and try to capitalise on their mistakes and see if we can get the three points, “ he said.
With the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) lifted, Davis anticipates that there might be more spectators than usual at the game. And, although he knows the results mean a lot to the fans, he wants his team to approach it like any other match.
“We are going out there to play our game. We have prepared ourselves to play with fans or without fans and we are focused on the things we want to do.
“They have been playing well for the past few games, so we cannot go out and sit back and allow them to play. We will have to attack them and defend when we have to defend and see if we can get those three points,” he stated.
Arnett are joint third in the table with 18 points. They trail Mount Pleasant on goal difference. Waterhouse lead the standings on 20 points, with Dunbeholden second on 19. Tivoli sit eighth with nine points.