Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
MOODIE
AFTER TWO Sundays without any activity, Jarrett Park in Montego Bay will be a hive of activity today with two rescheduled Wray and Nephew National Premier League matches and one Jamaica Football Federation Under-21 match taking place.
The triple-header will begin with the Under-21s of Wadadah and Reno taking the field at 3:00 p.m. before the NPL teams of both clubs enter the fray at 5:00 p.m. Capping the evening at 7:00 p.m. will be promoted teams Seba and Boys' Town.
While the matches put together should be a treat for football fans, the matchup between seventh-placed Reno and 10-placed Wadadah should generate the most interest. Reno, a pre-season favourite for relegation based on their poor record last season, the fact that they failed to bring in any new talent and that they started training relatively late, have looked respectable in the league.
Wadadah, on the other hand, rebounded to safety following last season's second transfer window, but have been unable to build on that momentum this season. They too were late out of the blocks as far as pre-season training was concerned.
Reno coach Bradley Stewart expects his team to continue improving following their 0-0 draw with the fancied Waterhouse on Sunday.
"In terms of the recent games we have played, we lost 1-0 to Tivoli Gardens, a game in which we created numerous chances and even missed a penalty. We beat Constant Spring and drew 0-0 with Waterhouse. If you look at it, we have played two of the so-called top ladder teams and have not done badly, if that is used as a yard stick," Stewart said of his team which has been blooding players brought up though the ranks.
Among them are the fast-improving defender Keniel Moodie, midfielders Nicholy Findlayson and Mario Harrison.
TOUGH GAME
"Any team that does well against top opposition should be more confident, but we are still expecting a tough game from Wadadah. The toughest games are usually against teams that are struggling. As the saying goes, 'a drowning man clutches at a straw'," Stewart said.
Stewart knows too that any casual approach or slip up from his players could present Wadadah with the perfect opportunity to pounce.
"We intend to give it our all. It has been trying times as of late with the weather and all. As a result of this we have not been able to train. We have not played for about two weeks and our last three games have been postponed so this could be a worry for us," said Wadadah's Anthony 'Follies' Williams.
If they are to win, Socrates Christie will have to recapture his form of old, Daniel Ricketts will have to shine and Jermaine Anderson will have to put his chances away.
What could be a plus for the Wadadah team, according to Williams, is their familiarity with some of the Reno players such as Fabian Blake who represented Wadadah in the past as well as home advantage.
"Some of the players on their team represented us before, so we are familiar with the way they play. We know it will be a tough encounter but we are optimistic of getting a good result based on our understanding of how they play," was part of Williams' assessment.
Of the two promoted teams, Seba United had the much easier task of qualifying for the NPL but Boys' Town have shown a greater sense of belonging. Following Sunday's 4-0 loss to Tivoli Gardens, coach Paul 'Tegat' Davis took his team to task for its performance. An improved effort is expected, especially from strikers Kemar James and Seba's top scorer last season, Wilfred Smith.
Boys' Town on the other hand have added more quality to their line-up this season and will not go down without a fight, if they do.
TODAY'S GAMES
Wadadah U-21 vs Reno U-21 at Jarrett Park - 3:00 p.m.
Wadadah vs Reno at Jarrett Park - 5:00 p.m.
Seba United vs Boys' Town at Jarrett Park - 7:00 p.m.
STANDINGS
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Harbour View | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| Waterhouse | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
| Arnett Gardens | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 13 |
| Tivoli Gardens | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 13 |
| Portmore | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| Village | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Reno | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Boys' Town | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| Rivoli | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 7 |
| Wadadah | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 |
| Constant Spring | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 4 |
| Seba | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 4 |
