Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
SELDOM, IF ever, will you find a demotivated team in a semi-final. However, Maverley-Hughenden, it seems, are at a low heading into their KSAFA Super League showdown against contrastingly emotional Boys' Town.
The fired up 'Colour Reds', who won the preliminary round, will meet fourth-place finishers Maverley-Hughenden just a stone's throw away from home, further up Collie Smith Drive at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex at 2:00 p.m. in the curtain-raiser of today's semis.
A match-up of contestants brimming with spirit in true semi-final fashion follows at 4:00 p.m. when Santos, the defending champions, tackle Bull Bay.
Both these challengers, like Boys' Town, are keen on winning this afternoon's first leg tie and the return to keep alive hopes of playing in the National Premier League. The winner advances to an all-island four-team play-off from which two will be promoted.
Maverley-Hughenden, however, have already given up on that hope.
"Things at Maverley are not going right ... the players are not training," Dennis Duncan, their coach lamented. "It would really take luck for us to come out. Although miracles do happen, it's going to be twice as hard, it seems like a corner league side is going to turn out tomorrow."
He admitted that "promises ... and promises that can't be fulfilled" killed off the spirit of the players, plus their "tower of strength" Wayne Palmer, and Kevin Eldemire are away.
It is a total turnaround position from early season when the dollars, vibes and performances flowed as they held the lead up to the mid-season final.
FEEL DOWN
"I really feel down knowing how hard we worked in the first round and knowing that we've really reached this far and can't get our foot on the ground, it's really disappointing. Everybody jumped ship, it's just a few people on board."
Among the loyalists are experienced captain and central defender Patrick Reid and top scorer Andre McLean, whom Duncan hopes, will be inspired by a former teammate that was killed in the area.
"The goal at the beginning at the season was to do it for Carl 'Corey' Campbell. I just hope that that can still motivate them and hold us up," said Duncan.
Boys' Town, with a burning desire to reclaim a spot in the big league, are totally unsympathetic.
"We want to go into the second leg with a comfortable advantage and we're going to make Maverley-Hughenden feel the heat," promised Andrew Price, Boys' Town's coach.
"Our ultimate goal is the Premier League. This is the first year that we've played at our home ground and it'd be only fitting for us to start on our return to the Premier League at our home ground. We look at these semi-finals and finals as just obstacles to get to the Premier League," he added.
The teams drew goalless twice this season but Price, whose team topped the prelims on 39 points, says his optimism is high because of their recent form.
"The difference is that we're playing a more compact and attacking game. We've numerous players who can score, our scoring is not limited to one or two scorers and with that we believe we've the advantage over Maverley."
Their high scorers are Michael Campbell and Rollin Francis, and veteran midfielder Fitzroy Anglin is always a threat.
