Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterFOOTBALL fans could not have asked for more as
the Wray and Nephew National Premier League is set to serve up a treat on its resumption with top two teams Portmore United and Waterhouse meeting at the Ferdie Neita Park.
The 3:30 clash is one of a full schedule of six set to take place in the ninth set of games in the second round of the competition. Also on are third-placed Tivoli Gardens journeying to Spanish Town to face six-placed Rivoli at the Prison Oval.
At Constant Spring the home team, currently in seventh place, host the bottom-placed Invaders FC in a bid to return to more positive results having succumbed to a pair of 0-1 losses in the Red Stripe Champions Cup. Invaders, based on their form, should provide them with that opportunity.
Fourth-placed Arnett Gardens, a point behind Tivoli Gardens on 14, host 10-placed Arlington who have all of 15 points so far in the competition. Early pacesetters and first round winners Harbour View appear to be regaining their form and a heartening display against DC United in the CONCACAF Club championships should help their confidence when they host a revived Reno.
Village to host Wadadah
In Western Jamaica, a re-energised Village United of Trelawny will host Wadadah of St James in the border clash. This match should have even more edge in it as four players - Kirk Hendricks, Daniel Ricketts, Lacon Brissett and Mark Williams - moved from Village to Wadadah during the transfer window.
Those matches aside, the one in which most sparks should fly is the Portmore 'Firehouse' encounter. Besides the fact that the match pits two teams coached by former national team-mates Paul Young and Peter Cargill against each other, the last time they met in a match many thought that Waterhouse were lucky to earn a point.
Since Young took over the reins at Portmore, they have gone on a seven-game winning streak and an eighth would be even more delightful.
Going for three points
"We are definitely going for the three points," Young said of today's clash with Waterhouse.
"They have a good team with a good coach in Peter Cargill who has a good football brain," he continued giving them respect. His team, he added, will do their best to win.
"We are going to keep doing what we have been doing in keeping possession of the ball, play our game and not allow them any time to play and put away our chances," explained February's coach of the month Young.
What makes the Portmore team even more dangerous at this time is the fact that their players are running into good form especially captain Kevin Deerr, February's player of the month and his strike partner Roen Nelson. Everyone is doing well no injury worries at all. They should have even more reason to come out fired up this evening.
His team, Young said, is motivated to get the better of Waterhouse as they have not done so for the season and three more points will certainly put them in the second end-of-round-final with two sets of games to play after today.
With a strong defensive line, an effective midfield and goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers who has confirmed his national credentials with solid performances in the recently concluded Digicel Cup competition, Portmore should be hard to beat.
Three points will be no easy pickings for Portmore if the Waterhouse team are anything like their coach. Not a weak-hearted person to shy away from a challenge, Cargill is not fazed by their opponents.
"First and foremost we are playing the second round and overall leaders away. They are tough and the team on form so we will have to be on our A game and good form to overcome them and that is what we intend to do," he said matter-of-factly.
Not even the absence of four key players in Damion Powell, Loxley Reid and Demar Phillips all to injury and captain Desmond Breakenridge out on suspension has cooled his quiet fire.
"We have been without Loxley Reid, Demar Phillip and Damion Powell for a while but have held our own. We have good players who have come in and done well and as such we are up there with the leaders," he said.
Among the players he will be looking to lift his team today are veteran striker Kevin Lamey, utility player Irvino English, Adrian Reid, Damion Gordon and young goalkeeper Richard McCallum.
