Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
Waterhouse's Richard West takes control of the ball in front of Portmore's Jason Morrison during their Wray and Nephew Premier League first-leg semi-final at the National Stadium on Wednesday. Waterhouse take a 1-0 lead into this evening's second leg at the same venue.- RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CARIBBEAN CLUB champions Harbour View and last year's beaten finalists Portmore United will have it all to do today in the second-leg semi-finals of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
In the opening game at 5:00 p.m. in the National Stadium double-header, Harbour View will have a mountain to climb after being outclassed 3-1 by defending champions Tivoli Gardens, a side they have had the better of for most of the season, while at 7:00, Waterhouse will carry a 1-0 advantage into battle against Portmore.
After a wonderful performance on Thursday, Tivoli Gardens are predictably in good spirits ahead of today's second leg.
"The mood is good," said Tivoli Gardens' manager, Brian Rose, looking towards today's game.
"Any camp would be happy after a performance like the one we put in on Thursday. Our task right now is to condition them that the job is only half finished and that we still have another 90 minutes to go," he said.
STRONG BACK-UP
What made Tivoli Gardens' performance even more remarkable was the fact they played without their top player
and the competition's leading scorer, Christopher Nicholas, who has a groin injury. With Nicholas out, his regular strike partner Roland Dean stepped up his game and provided the ammunition for his team with Waheem Walker pulling the strings behind him.
In midfield and defence Tivoli Gardens were also superb with Harbour View's lynchpin, Jermaine Hue, allowed very little room to operate.
Hue does not have two bad games in a row on a regular basis and Tivoli Gardens cannot go into today's encounter thinking they just have to show up to complete the job.
"Our approach will be the same as the last game. We want to stay focussed for 90 minutes, take the fight to them and do not allow them to dominate the game," offered Rose.
Harbour View's Donovan Hayles knows exactly what they are up against.
"The fact is that we have put ourselves in an awkward position and to come out we have to work hard," he said. "The important things as far as they are concerned is that there is still a lot of belief in their camp. I know we are capable of doing it and the players are still upbeat, they are working hard and are showing confidence in training. They know it is up to them to do it on the field," he said.
Hayles was also of the opinion that his players started the game flat and were unable to pick up the pace when required. The mental approach of his players is something that will have to be different if they are to overturn the deficit in today's game.
What will have to be different too is the contribution of players such as Robert Scarlett, Craig Stewart, Damion Stewart, Jermaine Taylor and Christopher Harvey.
The feature game should be no less a cracker than the first as the stung Portmore will have no choice but to attack Waterhouse in a bid to get on even terms early while Waterhouse will be keen to hold on to their narrow advantage and extend it if possible.
For Portmore to turn the tables on Waterhouse they will have to approach the game differently, according to coach Paul Young.
"We will have to come out with more intensity, be more aggressive, more penetrative and to create more chances. We did not create a lot of chances in the first leg," Young explained.
Young said he would be hoping to "get a goal early and not concede any".
An early goal will depend on improved play from the likes of Kevin Deerr, who appeared to back out of the fight early in Thursday's game, Roen Nelson, Wolry Wolfe and Omar Daley.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED
Defensively, Portmore will have to improve as Waterhouse appeared capable of knifing through them at will.
"They know that they let in a soft goal in the end so they are aware of what it is they have to do. We have also played Waterhouse four times and each time they have scored one goal so what we have to do is to score at least two unanswered goals in order to win," Young explained.
"We will still play our normal game of possessing the ball for long periods in their half."
Waterhouse's Geoffrey Maxwell is smart enough to know that it is too early for celebrations as a one-goal advantage with 90 minutes to play means very little.
"What we have is a fragile advantage," said Maxwell. "This single goal means that Portmore will have to come out and seek to draw level early."
That, according to Maxwell, will play right into the hands of Waterhouse who "have the attackers to take advantage of that." Those attackers in Kirk Ramsay, Uche Chinyere, Roberto Fletcher and Kevin Lamey are all blessed with speed and with the Portmore defence already coming second in a foot race, such an approach could be risky.
Having already predicted that his team will win the league, Maxwell is not prepared to back down now.
"We are confident but not overconfident and yes the job is not complete as there is still another 90 minutes to play, but as long as we maintain our tactical discipline we should take it," was his parting shot.
