Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
IT WILL be a matter of survival of the fittest when Kingston take on St Andrew in the second semi-final leg of the JFF Pepsi Under-15 competition at 3:00 p.m. today at the Sherwin Williams Stadium in Duhaney Park.
Separated by the smallest of margins, it is St Andrew who now hold the advantage going into the crucial second-leg fixture following a 1-0 defeat of their neighbours on Sunday. This was courtesy of a spectacular strike by Andre Beckford.
As expected, it would have taken something spectacular separate the twin parishes. The teams had sported almost identical records in terms of goals scored and goals conceded going into the semi-final match-up and they have similar tactical approaches.
FIRST LOSS
However, it is St Andrew, while careful not to claim premature bragging rights, that have handed Kingston their first loss of the knockout round.
While St. Andrew coach Ludlow Bernard believes that this gives his team a slight advantage, he knows there is still work to be done.
"The win gives us a mental advantage but it doesn't give us an advantage overall. We will still have to go out and work hard to ensure that we come away with the win. We have another 80 minutes to play," Bernard said.
Kingston coach Everold Campbell will be looking to ensure that this does not happen and only a goal down, he believes the battle is far from over.
"This is just the first game, there are two legs and there will be a lot more things to talk about," Campbell predicted.
Still, St. Andrew will not be looking to merely defend their one-goal advantage and Kingston must be cautious.
"The best way for us to go is to attack. When they come at us - and they have to - we will be looking for the early goal," Bernard said.
"We know that they cannot afford for us to score another goal," he said.
BEST OF THE BEST
Kingston and St. Andrew were thought by many to be the best teams in the competition as they had the majority of the players making up the Caribbean Football Union Cup team.
But their Corporate Area colleagues are now rivals and earlier than they expected at that. But at the end of today, the neighbouring teams will have to be split as it will either be Kingston or St Andrew through to the final of the Pepsi Under-15 competition.
