Paul-Andre Walker, Staff ReporterTHREE-PEAT WILL be the watch word today at the National Indoor Sports Centre as a replica of last season's Berger Paints Super League final is set to tip off at 5:00p.m.
Defending champions, Jamalco and Tivoli 'A' have had a big rivalry at the top of the country's highest netball competition recently, Jamalco have been having the better of the battles.
Last season, just as is the case in this one, Tivoli have been found wanting when the teams meet.
While Jamalco have been having the better of the exchanges over the last two years, there isn't much difference between the teams.
The winner of each encounter over the last two years has only been able to inflict the slimmest of single digit leads on the loser and this final threatens to go down to the wire just the same.
STATISTICS SHEET
One difference between the teams lie in the ability of young Jamalco shooter Romelda Aiken to get onto the scorers statistics sheet in a big way.
No team has been able to find an answer for her, but to be fair Tivoli have the best chance of thwarting that danger with the aggressive Kasey Evering at goal defence.
Another problem that Tivoli might find themselves faced with is the exquisite movement and passing of Nadine Bryan, that is unmatched anywhere in the league.
The only defence that Tivoli have against this is the speed of national Under-21 centre, Peter Gaye Thomas.
To their credit, Tivoli can score heavily as well, as Evering, who never ceases to create turn-overs, will aid in getting the ball going in transition and once it gets to Cleopatra Grant in the Tivoli shooting circle, Jamalco will have problems.
Tivoli will be worried that the Jamalco team has proven that they can play with teams that are good in attack, as National Under-21 goal keeper Nicole Aiken has been playing well and did well to restrict the shooting of Waulgrovians' Connie Francis, and Suzette DeSouza in the semis.
Tivoli, on the other hand, can take some heart from the defeats that they have felt at the hands of the most dominant team in the last three years.
ERRORS
On each occasion it has been Tivoli who looked the more likely team to win, leading in the close contests until the dying moments of the game where errors have been very harsh to them.
"In the preliminary rounds we led all the way until the last two minutes. We believe we can win. The same thing happened in the Open League so we have to look at that. It's very important that down the stretch we learn to absorb while applying pressure," said Tivoli coach Sylvester Campbell.
Jamalco coach, Winston Nevers has recognised the performance of his team over the years but thinks that that could be his biggest nemesis.
"Over confidence is one of the things we've been working on since the match against Waulgrovians. People have been saying that the final has been played before the final and some of the players have been saying the same, so I as a coach have taken the stance where I am not going to relax because I know that complacency can step in," he said.
At 4:00p.m., the third place play-off between Wualgrovians 'A' and Omega 'A' will get the evening of netball off and running.
