Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
IT IS not often that a trophy and its accompanying cash award seem to value little in a championship game.
This evening's Wray and Nephew National Premier League second-round final between Tivoli Gardens and Rivoli United provides that rare exception. But there is a funny twist to it.
The way to what matters most the bigger share of the bonus points is tied to the $150,000 and trophy that either team shall lift after this afternoon's showdown, which is set to kick off at 3:00. at Harbour View Mini Stadium.
There will be three points for the champions and one for the losers, who will also pocket $100,000.
Their game will be preceded by the JFF's Under-21 mid-season final between Harbour View and Arnett Gardens which is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. The winners will earn $75,000 while $40,000 is designated to the losers.
In the context of the overall standings and just like the juniors, the points are a major plus for the NPL finalists given the tight race for the semi-finals and only the third round left to play.
Tivoli are now second on 42 points, while Rivoli are sixth at 36. Harbour View lead with 43 points.
"We want three points, nothing more, nothing less," exclaimed Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, Tivoli's coach. "Right now we want the three bonus points so we can give ourselves a foothold going into the third round... because these three points would help to put some distance between us and the rest of the teams."
PLAYING CATCH UP
Rivoli are playing catch up and Bradley Stewart, their coach, said: "Importantly, at the end of the preliminary round it's the top four teams which get into the semi-finals. Our ultimate objective is to get into the top four to give ourselves a chance of winning. We need to start somewhere and Sunday is as good a time as any."
There have been two matches and one victory between the clubs this season with Tivoli earning a 2-1 result at Prison Oval. The Spanish Town team and their rivals drew the other game at Tivoli's Railway Oval.
The margins suggest why the coaches are hedging their bets about today's final.
"I've a lot of respect for Tivoli," Stewart said. "They have a lot of quality, Christopher Nicholas, Andrew Chisholm, Steve Green, Lenworth Hyde Jnr., Fabian Davis and Roland Dean, all of those players potentially are goalscorers. We don't have as a wide a range of potency.
"But no matter who we play, we always create chances so if we can put away a good percentage of our chances then we have as good a chance as Tivoli," he said.
Tivoli's Bailey said: "The ball is round, everybody has a fair chance of getting the job done. Right now, if we continue to play as we've been doing, I think we'll be fine."
UNSETTLING STYLE
Due to the type of influence certain individuals had in the past confrontations, their unsettling style has made them prime candidates to make decisive contributions again.
For Tivoli there is Davis, who scored a free kick and provided the assist on Darren Virtue's finish in the game they won with goals close to the end of both halves (43rd and 85th minutes); and Marvin Morgan, who was most instrumental in their second-half domination of the return game at Railway Oval.
Of note though is that Rivoli played better in the October 15 game they lost, a point recognised Bailey who at the time called his team "lucky".
Rivoli's captain, Patrick Beech, scored their only goal, something that has been a major feature of the Spanish Town team whenever they score, he scores. His absence (through injury) probably explains why they never scored at Tivoli.
In that game, Rivoli controlled the first half through strong midfield play and Tivoli marshalled the second half through the same reason but Roland Dean couldn't find the target.
Dean only returned yesterday with the national Under-23s and so, too, Rivoli's Garfield Reid who though a full back, has scored several times for his team, mainly through some wonderfully struck left-footed free kicks. Both will likely play, which means the teams will be boosted with one more real scoring option apiece.
