By Audley Boyd , Assistant Sport EditorHOW IRONIC it is that the team blocking Tivoli Gardens' path to the second round final is the one that did so successfully on its way to winning the first.
The scenario has clearly defined the task of the west Kingston team - knock over Waterhouse in this afternoon's last second round Wray and Nephew National Premier League fixture or lose the right to play St. Catherine's Rivoli United in Sunday's round final with points, dollars and trophy bonuses.
"It would be significant for us to make the mid-season final but we're approaching the game like any other," said Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, Tivoli's coach. "We're looking at it that we want the three points to stay among the top four for the semi-finals. That is where our aim and objective is."
Rivoli lead on 23 points and will finish among the top two as only Tivoli on 21 can pass them as the other contenders, Portmore United and Village United, only have 19 points and there are only three points for a win.
Village and Portmore will go at each other's throat and should one win to advance to 22 points, they would make a tally that Tivoli could with a draw.
A Village victory in that case would be good for Tivoli, whose goal difference (GD) is superior.
If Portmore win, however, that would be bad news for Tivoli as they have an inferior GD to the defending league champions.
Lenworth Hyde Snr, Port-more's coach, believes they will win.
He said: "In order for us to get to the end-of-round final we have to win. It boils down to that, we have to do our part."
But for a 0-0 draw at Harbour View, Portmore won their three other road games this round and Hyde said: "I'm confident that we'll win because we've been playing well on the road. That's where we've gotten most of our points."
So, like Waterhouse did in their crunch meeting to decide the first round finalist, to certify themselves a place in the second round final Tivoli need to return the favour and win all three points.
It's a simple equation for what shapes up as a most difficult game. Moreso, Waterhouse have just been toppled from the roost of the overall standings and are keen to avert the danger of slipping further in a bunched field rushing madly toward the semi-finals.
"We're looking at the bigger picture, making the semi-final of the Premier League," Water-house's assistant coach, Barry Brown, told The Gleaner. "We want to regain our lead at the top of the overall standings so we're going to Tivoli for the three points tomorrow."
Only four are catered for in the semis. And the top six - from Harbour View at 40 to Rivoli on 36 are separated by only four points.
So the second round form team must be watering at the mouth given the prospect of playing at homely Prison Oval and cutting that deficit to one point with a victory. Such a win would guarantee Bradley Stewart's steady Spanish Town team equal place on the overall points ladder beside Harbour View, given the minimum one point bonus for an end of round final contender. The champ earns three points.
While ambitious, Rivoli must not be fooled though as this is no ready-made three-point play.
Regardless of form, east Kingston's Harbour View have always held the upper hand over Rivoli, as indicated by the 4-2 result in their opening round engagement at Compound. They have even beaten Rivoli at Prison Oval in a final, for the JNBS Federation Cup.
Harbour View also won their past two games quite convincingly, with ace striker Fabian Taylor notching two goals apiece to secure the Player of the Month award, so they should be up for the challenge with both having everything to play for.
The overall points situation gives meaning to all remaining games - even those in this rare situation with a now nearly evenly split table of contenders for the title and relegation.
Even with another round to play, promoted Star Cosmos on 10 points seem gone. Their plight won't be aided by their late away clash against an Arnett team on the upswing following two victories and a draw for its best points sequence all season.
DESPERATE SEBA
It has temporarily eased their relegation woes by moving them to 25, three more than Constant Spring (22) who travel to face desperate Seba. The MoBay team now occupies the second spot for the drop on 19 points, but has shown improvement lately with the recent arrival of national captain Theodore Whitmore.
Renewed spirit and home advantage might make Seba tougher for a game that might be played late following the recommendations of a JFF light inspection at Jarrett Park last night. However, Geoffrey Maxwell's 'Spring' are an improving bunch who are as difficult to beat as the first round 1-1 tie suggests.
Reno and Invaders are dead level at 20 and have no better opportunity to create breathing space from the other strugglers. Both have problems and have lost players through the transfer window but at Frome where Reno are strongest, their Trelawny opponents might find themselves on the other side of a 2-0 result they inflicted in their first-round clash.
