Spring face to face with Hazard again
published: Sunday | March 2, 2003

Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter

THE HAZARD United/Constant Spring clash will be the headline encounter of three matches in the Corporate Area in the Wray and Nephew National League today.

For the teams, which are in the lead by far, this game is like what the doctor ordered as they continue their quests to top the table on points.

Hazard's coach, Lenworth Hyde, stated, as he did at the start of the second round, that his team's aim was to win all 11 matches of the round.

The last time the teams met, Hazard United drained Constant Spring 5-0 but Hyde is not predicting a similar beating this time around.

"We are expecting a good game. It is always a tough battle with us and the 'Spring' team. Though we beat them by five goals the last time I don't think it will be so easy this time around.

Constant Spring on any given day can be equally brilliant or awful. It all depends on the frame of mind in which they show up. This time, according to coach Maurice 'Danny' Lyn, they will not be going in expecting a beating.

"I know it is going to be a hard game but the team is coming prepared," Lyn said.

Since that 5-0 whipping, Constant Spring, according to Lyn, a number of adjustments have been made. If Constant Spring are to make a game of it they will look to the likes of the veteran Oneil 'Chippy' McDonald, Jermaine Benjamin, Dean Sewell and new boy Dave Clarke while Hazard, the stronger team on paper, will look to Omar Daley, Roen Nelson, Claude Davis, Anthony Moddeste and Kevin Deerr.

Bull Bay who are just a place off the bottom will seek their second successive win in this competition when they face Seba United who are now without coach Danilo Barriga, the man who lifted them to an improved performance in the second round.

A win would improve Bull Bay's chances of getting out of the relegation zone while Seba, who are in sixth place, would strengthen their chances of making it to the semi-finals with a win.

At Railway Oval Tivoli Gardens and Rivoli United will meet for the third time in about three weeks. On the first occasion they played to a draw at Railway before Rivoli won the next game 1-0 at Spanish Town Prison Oval. With the likes of Christopher Nicholas and fellow national invitee Kasai Hinds in the lineup, Tivoli have what it takes to win the match in front of their home crowd to hand new coach Mark Mendel his first win in four games.

Bradley Stewart's Rivoli will depend on Patrick Beech, Mobi Oparaku and Ray Graham to give them victory.

TODAY'S GAMES