By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
Surprise contenders for the end of second round finals, Seba United and Waterhouse will meet at Jarrett Park this evening starting at 6:00 as the Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL) continues.
Both former champions, who got off to poor starts in the first round, have had much-improved starts to the second round and are in second and third places respectively.
Seba is in second place on eight points, one more than Waterhouse who leads Harbour View on goal difference.
A win for either team today would ensure second place at least until the next set of games on Sunday.
With the exception of leaders Hazard, Seba is the hottest team in the league currently and will want to prove their superiority over the Kingston team after drawing 2-2 when they met in Kingston in the first round.
Seba dominated their game against Reno on Sunday but had to settle for a 3-3 draw with Reno at Jarrett Park after coming from 2-1 down to lead 3-2.
An own goal among the three given up against Reno, the Seba defence has played well this second round and had given up just one other goal and will be strengthened by the return of Norman Foster who sat out the last game with yellow cards accumulation.
Foster will join teen-aged central defender Rohan Bernard, Nicardo Folkes and the hard tackling Howard Reid in the Seba back line.
World Cup goal scoring hero Theodore Whitmore has regained some of the confidence that made him a fixture in the national team for many years and has also shaken off his early season rust and has been dominating recent games.
Along with Damion Williams and the hard running Omar Reid, Seba has not given up the midfield in any of their games played so far and the problem plagued Waterhouse team must come prepared to work hard for anything today.
Waterhouse has had problems with player revolt over salaries this season but despite playing without 11 regulars were able to pull off a 2-0 win over Rivoli at Prison Oval in their last game and will be hoping to continue winning today.
Under 21 goalkeeper Keith Baker was outstanding in that win and if called on today in the absence of the suspended Loxley Reid, will have his hands full in trying to contain the likes of Denton Vidal, Whitmore, Markino Gillings and Wilfred Smith.
Waterhouse's coach Calvert Fitzgerald will hope that the veterans Damion Powell, Tafari O'Connor and Weston Forrest can lead the team to their third win of the round.
