By Nodley Wright, Staff ReporterAFTER MAKING way for the Federation Cup for over two weeks, the National Premier roars back today with a full slate of matches to begin the third round.
End of second round winners Hazard United host Village United the team which last beat them on their home ground. Match time is 3:00 p.m.
Form team of the second round, Waterhouse will be hosted by bottom-placed Bull Bay at Harbour View. This should be an interesting match up as Waterhouse will be without inspirational captain Irvino English who received a red card in the end of round final.
Bull Bay too should feel like a weakened team as former captain Milton Griffiths has moved back up the road to join Harbour View.
The inconsistent Constant Spring, who are three places from the bottom of the table, host fifth-placed Seba United at Constant Spring. Theodore Whitmore, one of the stars for Seba United, is a doubt for today's game as he is before the courts on a manslaughter charge.
A Rivoli United team which would have been boosted by a 1-1 draw with Tivoli Gardens at Railway Oval on Sunday takes on Reno at Prison Oval. Reno, who sit 10th in the table, were also victorious on Sunday against Bull Bay and should not find the travel to St. Catherine too difficult to handle.
With all the action scheduled for today, the match that should have real football lovers drooling is the Arnett Gardens/Harbour View game.
Historically, matches between these teams have proven difficult to predict.
In their four matches this season Arnett Gardens have come out in better shape. Their first game was drawn 2-2, Arnett won the second 2-1, the third 2-0 and the fourth by an even wider margin - 3-0.
Today could just be the day when Harbour View turn the tables on Arnett Gardens. They seem to be in a goalscoring mood having hit eight past Harmony in the Federation Cup.
Additionally, Arnett Gardens will be without leading scorer Kevin Wilson, Everton Bunsie, first choice sweeper Eugene Barnes and his second, Wayne Ellis. Kwame Richardson is still injured and is joined on the sidelines by the veteran Denton Shedden.
They will have to rely on a less than sound duo of Walter Boyd and Fabian Davis to provide the goals with support from Alberto Fray.
Harbour View, on the other hand, have their strike force of Fabian Taylor, Jomo Gordon, Nicholas McCreath, Dino Williama and Ali Rose. They will be backed up by the goalscoring midfield of Jermaine Hue, Daniel Shaw and now Griffiths.
The Arnett Gardens/Harbour View game which kicks off at 6:00 p.m. will be precceded by a 3:00p.m. friendly international between the Under-17 teams of Jamaica and Canada.
